beg

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   To ask someone for money or food because you are very poor and have no other way to get it.

   Grammar: No object when asking in general: he begs on the street; with an object: she begged coins.

   Patterns

   • beg for something
   • beg something from someone

   A man was begging outside the train station in the cold.

   Children in the town begged for coins from tourists.

   She hated having to beg food from strangers.

2. 2verbtransitive or intransitive

   To ask for something in an urgent, emotional way, because you need it very much.

   Grammar: Often followed by for or a to-infinitive: she begged him to stay; he begged for mercy.

   Patterns

   • beg someone to do something
   • beg for something
   • beg someone for something

   I begged my sister to keep the secret.

   The prisoner begged for a second chance.

   He begged her for forgiveness after the argument.

3. 3verbintransitive

   Of a dog, to sit up and raise the front paws in hope of getting food.

   Grammar: No object: the puppy begs at the table.

   Patterns

   • beg for something

   Our terrier begs whenever someone opens the cheese.

   The dog was trained to beg for a treat.

   Don't let him beg at the table.

Word forms

Common combinations

beg for mercy

The defendant begged for mercy before the judge.

beg someone to stay

She begged him to stay until the storm passed.

beg for food

Stray cats beg for food behind the cafe.

beg forgiveness

He begged forgiveness for forgetting her birthday.

beg the question

Saying the policy is fair because it is fair begs the question.

I beg your pardon

I beg your pardon, could you repeat that?

Synonyms and how they differ

plead

Plead stresses an emotional appeal to someone, and it fits serious or legal situations better than beg, which can sound humbler or more desperate.

implore

Implore is more formal and literary than beg, and it is used for intense, heartfelt requests.

entreat

Entreat is formal and slightly old-fashioned, suggesting a sincere, respectful appeal.

cadge

Cadge is informal and slightly disapproving, meaning to get small things from others without paying, which is lighter than genuine begging.

Opposites

Word family

beggar noun

a person who lives by asking others for money

begging noun

the act of asking for money or food

beggarly adjective

extremely poor or very small in amount

Commonly confused: beg or bag?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “beg”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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