Definition of beg

< befuddle

began >

beg    (bg) KEY 

VERB:
begged, beg·ging, begs
VERB:
tr.

1. To ask for as charity: begged money while sitting in a doorway.
2. To ask earnestly for or of; entreat: begged me for help.
3. 1. To evade; dodge: a speech that begged the real issues.
   2. To take for granted without proof: beg the point in a dispute.

VERB:
intr.

1. To solicit alms.
2. To make a humble or urgent plea.

PHRASAL VERB:
beg off

To ask to be released from something, such as an obligation: We were invited to stay for dinner, but we had to beg off.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English beggen, possibly from Anglo-Norman begger, from Old French begart, lay brother, one who prays ; see beggar

SYNONYMS:
beg, crave, beseech, implore, entreat, importune

These verbs mean to make an earnest request. Beg and crave mean to ask in a serious and sometimes humble manner, especially for something one cannot claim as a right: I begged her to forgive me. The attorney craved the court's indulgence. Beseech emphasizes earnestness and often implies anxiety: Be silent, we beseech you. Implore intensifies the sense of urgency and anxiety: The child implored his father not to be angry. Entreat pertains to persuasive pleading: "Ask me no questions, I entreat you" (Charles Dickens). Importune adds the sense of persistent and sometimes irksome pleading: The foundation was importuned by fundraisers. See also Synonyms at cadge.