beg
To ask someone for something in a very serious or emotional way.
To ask someone for something, such as money, help, or forgiveness, in an urgent or humble way.
To get money or food by asking people on the street instead of working.
To obtain money, food, or other necessities by asking strangers for them in public places rather than earning them through work.
To make people naturally want to ask a certain question or think about a certain thing.
To cause or encourage a question, reaction, or problem to arise naturally from what has been said or done.
- Base: beg
- 3rd Person Singular: begs
- Present Participle: begging
- Past: begged
- Irregular present participle: begging Verb
- Irregular past: begged Verb
beg off
1decline with an excuse
To say you cannot do something you were invited to do by giving a reason.
- She begged off attending the dinner because she was tired.
- I had to beg off helping them move this weekend.
beg the question
1cause a certain question to arise
To make people naturally want to ask a certain question because of what has been said or done.
- The announcement begs the question: Why now?
- Her comments beg the question of whether she will resign.
beg your pardon
1politely ask repeat or apologize
A polite way to ask someone to say something again, or to say sorry for something you did.
- I beg your pardon, could you repeat that?
- Oh, I beg your pardon — I didn’t see you there.
beg for mercy
1ask not to be punished harshly
To ask someone strongly and emotionally not to hurt you or punish you too much.
- The prisoner begged for mercy before sentencing.
- The man fell to his knees and begged for mercy.
- He begged for mercy when he saw the angry crowd.
- They begged for mercy, but the dictator ignored them.
- In the story, the defeated soldiers beg for mercy from their enemies.