Beg
/beɡ/
verbBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meanings
Questions
Definitions
2 meanings1
To ask for something urgently or desperately.
/beɡ/
verbneutralBeginner
General
To ask earnestly or humbly for something
She begged for forgiveness.
💡 Simply: To ask for something with strong emotion.
More Examples
2
They begged for food.
How It's Used
Everyday Conversation
"I begged him to stay."
Formal Writing
"The defendant begged for mercy."
2
The act of asking humbly for something, often alms or charity.
/beɡ/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
An act of begging
He made a beg for assistance.
💡 Simply: The act of asking for something.
More Examples
2
The dog's beg for attention was ignored.
How It's Used
Literature
"The beggar's beg was met with indifference."
Tip:Think of a beggar and their repeated requests for help.
Idioms & expressions
beg the question
To avoid directly answering a question; to raise a new question.
"His explanation begged the question of his true motives."
Old English *beggan, from Proto-Germanic *beggōn (to ask for alms).
Historically, 'beg' carried a stronger connotation of poverty and destitution.
Memory tip
Imagine someone bending their knees and begging for help.
Practice
Base: beg
beggbeggin
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written