What does "entreat" mean?
Synonym of entreaty (“an act of asking earnestly or begging for something”); an appeal, a plea.
Entreat
/ɪnˈtɹiːt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of entreaty (“an act of asking earnestly or begging for something”); an appeal, a plea.
- Grammar: entreat is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: beseech, adjure, adjure, adjured.
- Useful contrasts: command, demand, deny.
- Usage evidence: I entreat you to go and see him.
How to use "entreat"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "entreat" 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 "entreat" 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 "entreat" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "entreat" 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 "entreat" is acting as 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
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 "entreat", 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 Synonym of entreaty (“an act of asking earnestly or begging for something”); an appeal, a plea. obsolete
"Let my entreats of Love prevail ſo far, / VVhen for your happineſſe they ſpoken are: / Be not a Captive to the vvorld, but be / One unto Heav'n, and that is to be free."
Verb
- 1 Senses relating to asking or pleading.; To ask earnestly or beg for (something, such as a benefit or favour). transitive
"If you be ſhe, I doe intreat your patience / To heare me ſpeake the meſſage I am ſent on."
- 2 ask for or request earnestly wordnet
- 3 Senses relating to asking or pleading.; To earnestly ask or beg (someone); to beseech, to implore. transitive
"Then Pharaoh called for Moſes and Aaron, and ſaid, Intreat the Lord, that hee may take away the frogges from me, and from my people: […]"
- 4 Senses relating to asking or pleading.; To try to influence or persuade (someone); to induce, to prevail upon. obsolete, transitive
"[S]he could in no wiſe be intreated with her good vyll to delyuer him, […]"
- 5 Senses relating to asking or pleading.; Often followed by for: to ask earnestly or to beg for a benefit, favour, etc.; to appeal, to plead. intransitive
"[T]he rayſing of people, and aſſemble of Souldiours by him, could ſignifie no peace, nor treatie of concorde: except a man ſhould ſaye, that intreating for fauour with naked ſworde in hande, were an humble ſubmiſſion and a meeke requeſt: […]"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Senses relating to asking or pleading.; To make a petition or request on behalf of someone; to intercede, to plead. archaic, intransitive
"Wil ye accepte yͤ perſonne of God, and intreate for him?"
- 7 Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.; To act towards or deal with (someone or something) in a specified manner; to handle, to treat. obsolete, transitive
"And here I ſpeake of the generation, wherby they doo engender, and not of that, wherby they are engendred, becauſe it ſhuld be to long to intreate, howe the chyldren of lyght are ingendred, and how they come in at the doore: and howe the children of the world be engendred, and come in an other way."
- 8 Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.; To discuss or negotiate (something); also, to discuss or negotiate with (someone). obsolete, transitive
"[T]hey entreated the ſayd companyons and offred them golde⸝ and ſyluer⸝ and paſſage: […]"
- 9 Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.; To occupy oneself with (something). obsolete, reflexive, transitive
"The Gardin of Proſerpina […] ſhe often vſd from open heat / Her ſelfe to ſhroud, and pleaſures to entreat."
- 10 Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.; Sometimes followed by of or upon: to give an account or description of a matter; to deal with. intransitive, obsolete
"[O]f all theſe ſeuerally I intend to intreate in the folovving chapters."
- 11 Senses relating to dealing with or negotiating.; Often followed by about, for, or of: to discuss or negotiate, especially in order to reach a settlement. intransitive, obsolete
"[B]ytwene theſe parties entreated for a peace⸝ the archbyſhoppe of Senus⸝ the byſſhoppe of Auſſer⸝ the byſſhoppe of Beaumoys⸝ the lorde of Momorency⸝ the lorde of Fyenes⸝ and the lorde of ſaynt Uenant."
Example
"I entreat you to go and see him."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "entreat"?
Common synonyms include: beseech, adjure, adjure, adjured, adjures, adjuring.
How do you use "entreat" in a sentence?
I entreat you to go and see him.
How do you pronounce "entreat"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈtɹiːt/.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English entreten (“to deal with (someone) in a specified way; to concern oneself with (something); to deal with or give an account of (a topic); to engage in negotiation; to intercede for (someone); to plead with (someone)”), from Anglo-Norman entraiter, entretier (“to concern oneself with (something); to deal with (someone) in a specified manner; to have a conversation with (someone); to negotiate (with someone, or about something)”), Middle French entraiter, entraictier, and Old French entraictier (“to have a conversation with (someone); to concern oneself with (something)”), from en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + traiter (“to be concerned with (something); to treat (someone) in a specified way”) (from Latin tractāre, the present active infinitive of tractō (“to handle, manage; to drag, haul”), from trahō (“to drag, pull; etc.”) (see that entry for the further etymology) + -tō (frequentative suffix)). The noun is derived from Late Middle English entrete (“agreement; negotiation; treatment of a subject in discourse”), from the verb.