beg
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg forgiveness.
to beg alms;
to beg forgiveness.
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to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore.
He begged me for mercy.
Sit down, I beg you.
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to take for granted without basis or justification.
a statement that begs the very point we're disputing.
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to fail or refuse to come to grips with; avoid; evade.
a report that consistently begs the whole problem.
verb (used without object)
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to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.
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to ask humbly or earnestly: begging to differ.
begging for help;
begging to differ.
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(of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.
verb phrase
idioms
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go begging, to remain open or available, as a position that is unfilled or an unsold item.
The job went begging for lack of qualified applicants.
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beg the question,
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to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.
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to evade the issue or avoid a direct answer.
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to raise the question; inspire one to ask.
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noun
abbreviation
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begin.
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beginning.
verb
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to solicit (for money, food, etc), esp in the street
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to ask (someone) for (something or leave to do something) formally, humbly, or earnestly
I beg forgiveness
I beg to differ
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(intr) (of a dog) to sit up with forepaws raised expectantly
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to leave unanswered or unresolved
to beg a point
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to evade the issue
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to assume the thing under examination as proved
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to suggest that a question needs to be asked
the firm's success begs the question: why aren't more companies doing the same?
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to be unwanted or unused
noun
Usage
The use of beg the question to mean that a question needs to be asked is considered by some people to be incorrect
Related Words
Beg and request are used in certain conventional formulas, in the sense of ask. Beg, once a part of many formal expressions used in letter writing, debate, etc., is now used chiefly in such courteous formulas as I beg your pardon; The Committee begs to state, etc. Request, more impersonal and now more formal, is used in giving courteous orders (You are requested to report) and in commercial formulas like to request payment.
Other Word Forms
- half-begging adjective
- unbegged adjective
Etymology
Origin of beg1
First recorded before 900; Middle English beggen, by assimilation from unattested Old English bedican, variant of bedecian “to beg”; compare Gothic bidagwa “beggar”
Origin of beg2
First recorded in 1680–90; from Ottoman Turkish; bey
Explanation
To beg is to ask for something in an earnest, pleading way. You might beg your roommates to be quiet if you're desperately trying to get some sleep. You can beg your parents to let you go to a concert with your friends, and you can beg your sister for forgiveness after you inadvertently hurt her feelings. In either case, you are imploring, asking sincerely for something you want. Many dogs are skilled at this, and will beg by sitting beside you while you eat, looking adorable. Another way to beg is to ask for desperately needed charity — to solicit money or food from strangers.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the end, the World Cup-winning Argentina striker, who had just clinched the Premier League with Manchester City, had to beg for it to stop.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said.
From Salon • Feb. 10, 2026
“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
The doctor has worked with high school athletes who beg for a chance to play a final game after suffering a torn ACL.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
“I beg your pardon,” she said firmly, “but if I am going to be sailing among you, surely you can tell me the name of the ship.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
