What does "ask" mean?
An act or instance of asking.
Ask
/ɑːsk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act or instance of asking.
- Grammar: ask is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: inquire, appeal, appeal to, apply.
- Useful contrasts: barking, answer, bid.
- Usage evidence: If anyone was to ask what the point of the story is, I really don't know.
How to use "ask"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ask" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ask" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ask" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ask" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ask" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "inquire" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ask", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act or instance of asking. informal
"To ask for a gift is a privilege, a wonderful expression of commitment to and ownership of the organization. Getting a yes to an ask can be a rush, but asking for the gift can and should be just as rewarding."
- 2 An eft; newt. Scotland, UK, dialectal, informal
"He looked at the beast. It was not an eel. It was very like an ask."
- 3 Initialism of amplitude shift keying. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 4 Something asked or asked for. informal
"I know this is a big ask, but …"
- 5 A lizard. UK, dialectal, informal
"We hear of Adder dens, but detailed accounts of the discovery of one are very rare. Service (1902) records that a peatman, when levelling on an estate by the Solway, found in a hole in the ground, some 8 inches below the surface, 40 adders, 10 toads and a large number of asks (lizards)."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An asking price. informal
- 7 A message sent to a blog on social networking platform Tumblr, which can be publicly posted and replied to by the recipient. Internet, informal
"Answering 'asks' like this is one common way that Tumblr bloggers interact with their followers, so it is in the act of publicly answering these asks that I examine community building practices."
Verb
- 1 To request or petition.; To request (information, or an answer to a question). intransitive, transitive
"I asked her age."
- 2 make a request or demand for something to somebody wordnet
- 3 To request or petition.; To request or enquire of (a person). ditransitive, transitive
"I asked her (for) her age."
- 4 consider obligatory; request and expect wordnet
- 5 To request or petition.; To request (an item or service) (see also ask for). transitive, usually
"to ask for a second helping at dinner"
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 direct or put; seek an answer to wordnet
- 7 To request or petition.; To request (someone to do something). transitive
"Emma asked Jim to close his eyes."
- 8 address a question to and expect an answer from wordnet
- 9 To request or petition.; To request permission (to do something).
"She asked to see the doctor."
- 10 require or ask for as a price or condition wordnet
- 11 To put forward (a question) to be answered.
"to ask a question"
- 12 make a date wordnet
- 13 To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity.
"What price are you asking for the house?"
- 14 require as useful, just, or proper wordnet
- 15 To invite.
"Don’t ask them to the wedding."
- 16 To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
- 17 To take (a person's situation) as an example. figuratively
"Even when the damage isn't that clear cut, the intangible burdens of a bad image can add up. Just ask Dow Chemical."
Proper Noun
- 1 The first male human, according to the Poetic Edda. Norse
- 2 A surname from Swedish.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"If anyone was to ask what the point of the story is, I really don't know."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ask"?
Common synonyms include: inquire, appeal, appeal to, apply, apply for, argue.
How do you use "ask" in a sentence?
If anyone was to ask what the point of the story is, I really don't know.
How do you pronounce "ask"?
Pronounced /ɑːsk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English asken, axen, from Old English āscian, from Proto-West Germanic *aiskōn, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eys- (“to wish; request”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian aaskje (“to ask, demand, require”), West Frisian easkje (“to ask, demand, require”), Dutch eisen (“to demand, require”), German heischen (“to ask, request, implore”), Russian иска́ть (iskátʹ), Sanskrit इच्छति (iccháti) (whence Hindi ईछना (īchnā).
Etymology 2
From Middle English aske, arske, ascre, from Old English āþexe (“lizard, newt”), from Proto-West Germanic *agiþahsijā (“lizard”), a compound of *agiz (“snake, lizard”) + *þahsuz (“badger”). Cognate of German Echse (“lizard”).
Etymology 3
From Old Norse Askr, from askr (“ash tree”).
Etymology 4
Borrowed from Swedish Ask, from ask (“ash tree”), ultimately also from askr (“ash tree”). Doublet of Ash.