plead
gb/plˈid/ us/plˈid/
B1
Anglais
~ 1700
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
B1
action
1
Ask urgently or emotionally
To ask for something in a strong and serious way.
Schéma d’usage :
to plead with [someone] to [do something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'plead' with 'pray'; 'pray' is used for speaking to a god, while 'plead' is used when asking a person for something.
Synonymes
beg (More informal and often stronger in emotional intensity.)
Antonymes
demand (Implies force or authority rather than emotional appeal.)
Collocations
plead with someone
|plead for help
|plead desperately
|plead for mercy
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She pleaded with the teacher to give her another chance.
- The villagers pleaded for food and water after the storm.
- He pleaded for mercy when he realized he had lost.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I pleaded with my friend to stay.
- She pleaded for help when she fell.
- They pleaded for more time to finish the work.
Verbe
B2
action
2
State legal guilt or innocence
To say in court if you are guilty or not guilty.
Schéma d’usage :
to plead [guilty/not guilty]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse 'plead' here with 'plead with'; in legal contexts, it means making a formal statement, not asking emotionally.
Synonymes
declare (More general and less specific to legal contexts.)
Antonymes
deny (In court, to say that you did not commit the crime.)
Collocations
plead guilty
|plead not guilty
|plead no contest
Thèmes
law
|justice
Exemples
- The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.
- He decided to plead guilty to avoid a long trial.
- They pleaded no contest as part of the deal.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He pleaded guilty in court.
- She pleaded not guilty to the crime.
- The man pleaded no contest.
Verbe
formal
C1
action
3
Argue a case in court
To speak in court to support one side of a case.
Schéma d’usage :
to plead [a case]
Synonymes
argue (More general; can be outside a legal context.)
Antonymes
prosecute (In court, to argue against the defendant instead of for them.)
Collocations
plead a case
|plead on behalf of someone
Thèmes
law
|justice
|communication
Exemples
- The attorney pleaded the case skillfully.
- She has pleaded on behalf of many poor clients.
- They will plead his case tomorrow.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The lawyer pleaded the case in court.
- She pleaded for her client.
- He pleaded on behalf of his friend.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
plead
API
GB/plˈid/
US/plˈid/
Syllabes et accentuation
plead (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (plead)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: plead
- 3rd Person Singular: pleads
- Present Participle: pleading
- Past: plead, pleaded, pled
- Past Participle: plead, pleaded, pled
Famille de mots
Forms
pleads
verb
pleading
verb
pleaded
verb
pled
verb
Core family
plea
noun B2
Related words
pleader
noun
Expressions
plead for mercy
1/plˈid fɚ mˈɚsi/
fixed phrase
Ask urgently for forgiveness or kindness
To ask very strongly for someone to be kind and not punish you hard.
Exemples
- The prisoner pleaded for mercy before sentencing.
- They pleaded for mercy from the king.
plead not guilty
1/plˈid nˈɑt ɡˈɪlti/
fixed phrase
Formally deny guilt in court
To say in court that you did not do the crime.
Exemples
- The suspect pleaded not guilty during the trial.
- They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
plead with someone
1/plˈid wˈɪθ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
Ask someone seriously or emotionally
To ask someone very strongly to do something.
Exemples
- I pleaded with him to stay until morning.
- She pleaded with the teacher not to fail her.
plead guilty
1/plˈid ɡˈɪlti/
fixed phrase
Formally admit guilt in court
To say in court that you did the crime.
Exemples
- He decided to plead guilty to avoid a longer sentence.
- She pleaded guilty and apologized to the victims.
- The suspect pleaded guilty to all charges.