What does "beg" mean?
The act of begging; an imploring request.
Beg
/bɛɡ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of begging; an imploring request.
- Grammar: beg is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: beseech, entreat, implore, adjure.
- Useful contrasts: deny, grant, refuse.
- Usage evidence: I beg to differ, as I disagree with your analysis of the situation.
How to use "beg"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "beg" 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 "beg" 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 "beg" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "beg" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- 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 "beg" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "beseech" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "beg", 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 The act of begging; an imploring request.
"“Lord,” I prayed, “it's a long time since I came to You for anything besides a quick beg for help. And it seems every time I come to You I'm asking something bigger, more impossible. But I'm here again. […]"
- 2 Alternative form of bey. alt-of, alternative
"Yaqub Beg (c. 1820 – 1877)"
- 3 Abbreviation of beginning. abbreviation, alt-of
"Knit with MC until work measures 3 inches from beg."
Verb
- 1 To request the help of someone, often in the form of money. intransitive
"He begged on the street corner from passers-by."
- 2 call upon in supplication; entreat wordnet
- 3 To plead with someone for help, a favor, etc.; to entreat. transitive
"I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to cause offence."
- 4 make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently wordnet
- 5 To unwillingly provoke a negative, often violent, reaction. transitive
"The way you keep eating raw meat, you're just begging to get tapeworms."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 dodge, avoid answering, or take for granted wordnet
- 7 To obviously lack or be in need of something. intransitive, transitive
"A captivating novel that just begs for a movie adaptation"
- 8 ask to obtain free wordnet
- 9 In the phrase beg the question: to assume. transitive
- 10 In the phrase beg the question: to raise (a question). proscribed, transitive
- 11 To ask to be appointed guardian for, or to ask to have a guardian appointed for. obsolete, transitive
"Else some will beg thee, in the court of wards."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Hindi.
Example
"I beg to differ, as I disagree with your analysis of the situation."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "beg"?
Common synonyms include: beseech, entreat, implore, adjure, appeal, appeal to.
How do you use "beg" in a sentence?
I beg to differ, as I disagree with your analysis of the situation.
How do you pronounce "beg"?
Pronounced /bɛɡ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English beggen, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English *becgian, *bedcian, syncopated forms of bedecian (“to beg”), itself of obscure origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *bedukōn, a frequentative verb derived from Proto-West Germanic *bedu (“plea, petition, prayer”, whence English bead). Alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *bedagō (“petitioner, requester, beggar”), an agent noun from the same source. Compare North Frisian bēdagi (“to pray”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰 (bidagwa, “beggar”). All ultimately from the root of English bid, which see for more. An alternative theory considers the verb a backformation from beggar and derives the latter from Old French begart (“kind of lay brother”).
Etymology 2
From Proto-Turkic *bēg.
Etymology 3
Various origins: * As an Islamic (Indian subcontinent as Hindi बेग (beg)) and sometimes Serbo-Croatian surname, from the Turkish title beg, an older form of bey. See Bey; also compare Baig. * Borrowed from Slovene Beg, from beg (“escape, getaway”).