beg
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
beg
(bĕg)v. begged, beg·ging, begs
v.tr.
1.
a. To ask (someone) for something in an urgent or humble manner: begged me for help; begged me to give him the phone number.
b. To ask for (something) in an urgent or humble manner: beg someone's forgiveness; beg a favor.
c. To ask for (food or money, for instance) as a beggar.
2. To ask (permission) to do something: begged leave to attend the ceremony.
3.
a. To evade; dodge: a speech that begged the real issues.
b. To take for granted without proof: beg the point in a dispute.
v.intr.
Phrasal Verb: 1.
a. To ask for something, especially money or food from strangers, in an urgent or humble manner.
b. To live as a beggar.
2. To make an urgent or humble plea: beg for mercy.
beg off
Idioms: To ask to be released from something, such as an obligation: We were invited to stay for dinner, but we had to beg off.
beg (someone's) pardon
Used to introduce a polite request.
beg the question
1. To assume to be true what one is purporting to prove in an argument.
2. To call to mind a question in a discussion; invite or provoke a question.
beg to differ
To disagree in a polite manner.
[Middle English beggen, possibly from Anglo-Norman begger, from Old French begart, lay brother, one who prays; see beggar.]
Synonyms: beg, entreat, beseech, implore
These verbs mean to make an earnest request of someone. Beg may imply no more than standard courtesy (forgive me, I beg you), but in less formulaic expressions it usually suggests a respectful seriousness: I begged her to tell me what was troubling her.
Entreat suggests earnest pleading: "Hamilton and Jefferson ... each denounced the other ... Washington was appalled [and] entreated his warring secretaries to make peace" (Herbert Sloan).
Beseech is often used formally, especially in addressing an authority or divinity, but regardless of tone it emphasizes serious concern and often implies urgency: "[She] was beseeching us to do everything possible to save him" (Bernard Lown).
Implore suggests a similar sense of urgency in a matter of great importance: "Her mother had implored her to try to get an education, to try to break out of ... poverty" (Robert Coles). See Also Synonyms at cadge.
These verbs mean to make an earnest request of someone. Beg may imply no more than standard courtesy (forgive me, I beg you), but in less formulaic expressions it usually suggests a respectful seriousness: I begged her to tell me what was troubling her.
Entreat suggests earnest pleading: "Hamilton and Jefferson ... each denounced the other ... Washington was appalled [and] entreated his warring secretaries to make peace" (Herbert Sloan).
Beseech is often used formally, especially in addressing an authority or divinity, but regardless of tone it emphasizes serious concern and often implies urgency: "[She] was beseeching us to do everything possible to save him" (Bernard Lown).
Implore suggests a similar sense of urgency in a matter of great importance: "Her mother had implored her to try to get an education, to try to break out of ... poverty" (Robert Coles). See Also Synonyms at cadge.
Usage Note: Historically, logicians and philosophers have used the phrase beg the question to mean "to put forward an argument whose conclusion is already assumed as a premise." Usually, when people beg the question in this sense, the conclusion and the assumed premise are put in slightly different words, which tends to obscure the fact that such an argument is logically meaningless. For instance, to argue that caviar tastes better than peanut butter because caviar has a superior flavor is to beg the question—the premise that is taken as given (that caviar's flavor is superior) is essentially identical to the point it is intended to prove (that caviar tastes better).·But since at least the early 1900s, laypeople have been using beg the question in slightly different senses, to mean "raise a relevant question" or "leave a relevant question unanswered." When used in these senses, beg the question is usually followed by a clause explaining what the question in question is, as in That article begs the question of whether we should build a new school or renovate the old one or The real estate listing claims that the kitchen is spacious, which begs the question of what "spacious" means. These senses of beg the question are so well established that they have nearly displaced the original sense in everyday usage, but they are still often frowned on by traditionalists, especially those with training in philosophy; in our 2013 survey, the sentences above were judged acceptable only by slim majorities of the Usage Panel—55 and 58 percent, respectively. By contrast, a sentence using the phrase in its original sense (When I asked him why we must protect every endangered species regardless of the cost, he said it was because every species is priceless, but that just begs the question) was considered acceptable by 79 percent of the Panel. The newer senses of beg the question will probably continue to flourish because "begging a question" suggests "begging for," or "raising" a question. However, this broader usage will also probably continue to draw the ire of philosophers and others who use the "circular reasoning" sense of the term, for which there is no good substitute, and do not want to see its technical meaning lost.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
beg
(bɛɡ)vb, begs, begging or begged
1. (when: intr, often foll by for) to solicit (for money, food, etc), esp in the street
2. to ask (someone) for (something or leave to do something) formally, humbly, or earnestly: I beg forgiveness; I beg to differ.
3. (Zoology) (intr) (of a dog) to sit up with forepaws raised expectantly
4. to leave unanswered or unresolved: to beg a point.
5. beg the question
a. to evade the issue
b. to assume the thing under examination as proved
c. to suggest that a question needs to be asked: the firm's success begs the question: why aren't more companies doing the same?.
6. go begging go a-begging to be unwanted or unused
[C13: probably from Old English bedecian; related to Gothic bidagwa beggar]
Usage: The use of beg the question to mean that a question needs to be asked is considered by some people to be incorrect
beg
(bɛɡ)n
(Historical Terms) a variant of bey
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
beg
(bɛg)v. begged, beg•ging. v.t.
1. to ask for as a gift, as charity, or as a favor: to beg alms; to beg forgiveness.
2. to ask (someone) to give or do something; implore: He begged me for help.
3. to avoid; evade: a report that begs the whole problem.
v.i. 4. to ask alms or charity; live by asking alms.
5. to ask humbly or earnestly.
6. (of a dog) to sit up, as trained, in a posture of entreaty.
7. beg off, to request release from an obligation.
Idioms: 1. beg the question,
a. to assume the truth of the very point raised in a question.
b. to evade the issue.
c. to raise the question; inspire one to ask.
2. go begging, to remain unclaimed, unused, or unpurchased.
[before 900; Middle English beggen, by assimilation from Old English *bedican, alter. of bedecian to beg]
usage.: Beg the question is originally a translation of the Latin rhetorical term petitio principii, which means “to assume the truth of the very point under discussion.” For example, to answer the question “Can we afford another employee?” by stating how convenient it would be to have another employee would be begging the question. This expression was then taken to mean “avoid the question” or “evade the issue” - a natural assumption if one is unfamiliar with the original meaning. The most recent, and now quite common, sense is “to raise the question”: His success begs the question: what's next?
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
beg
Past participle: begged
Gerund: begging
| Imperative |
|---|
| beg |
| beg |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  beg - call upon in supplication; entreat; "I beg you to stop!"crave - plead or ask for earnestly supplicate - ask humbly (for something); "He supplicated the King for clemency" plead - appeal or request earnestly; "I pleaded with him to stop" |
| 2. | beg - make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently; "Henry IV solicited the Pope for a divorce"; "My neighbor keeps soliciting money for different charities" call for, request, bespeak, quest - express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service" quest - seek alms, as for religious purposes buttonhole, lobby - detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of; as for political or economic favors | |
| 3. |  beg - ask to obtain free; "beg money and food"call for, request, bespeak, quest - express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service" schnorr, shnorr, cadge, scrounge - obtain or seek to obtain by cadging or wheedling; "he is always shnorring cigarettes from his friends" panhandle - beg by accosting people in the street and asking for money | |
| 4. | beg - dodge, avoid answering, or take for granted; "beg the question"; "beg the point in the discussion" evade, hedge, sidestep, skirt, parry, fudge, circumvent, dodge, elude, duck, put off - avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues); "He dodged the issue"; "she skirted the problem"; "They tend to evade their responsibilities"; "he evaded the questions skillfully" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
beg
verb
1. implore, plead with, beseech, desire, request, pray, petition, conjure, crave, solicit, entreat, importune, supplicate, go on bended knee to I begged him to come back to England with me
2. scrounge, bum (informal), blag (slang), touch (someone) for (slang), mooch (slang), cadge, forage for, hunt around (for), sponge on (someone) for, freeload (slang), seek charity, call for alms, solicit charity I was surrounded by people begging for food.
scrounge give, present, award, grant, commit, contribute, donate, confer, bestow, impart, apportion
scrounge give, present, award, grant, commit, contribute, donate, confer, bestow, impart, apportion
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
beg
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
احتملاستجدىتسوليَتَسَوَّل، يَسْتَجْدييَتَوَسَّل إلى
prositžebratnaléhavě žádat
tiggetrygle
kerjätäpyytääbeg
להתחנן
moliti
koldulkönyörög
betlabiîja, sárbæna
物乞いをする
구걸하다
mendicarerogare
būti kitos nuomonėselgetaelgetautimaldautineapsakomas
lūgtlūgtiesubagot
naliehavo žiadať/prosiťžobrať
prosjačitirotiti
molitiprositizamoliti
tigga
ขอร้อง
yalvarmakdilenmekrica etmek
năn nỉ
beg
[beg]A. VT
1. (= implore) → rogar, suplicar
I beg you! → ¡te lo suplico!
to beg forgiveness → suplicar or implorar perdón
he begged my help → suplicó mi ayuda
to beg sb for sth → suplicar algo a algn
he begged me to help him → me suplicó que le ayudara
I beg to inform you (frm) → tengo el honor de informarle
I beg to differ → siento tener que disentir
to beg the question some definitions of mental illness beg the question of what constitutes normal behaviour → algunas definiciones de enfermedad mental dan por sentado lo que constituye un comportamiento normal
I beg you! → ¡te lo suplico!
to beg forgiveness → suplicar or implorar perdón
he begged my help → suplicó mi ayuda
to beg sb for sth → suplicar algo a algn
he begged me to help him → me suplicó que le ayudara
I beg to inform you (frm) → tengo el honor de informarle
I beg to differ → siento tener que disentir
to beg the question some definitions of mental illness beg the question of what constitutes normal behaviour → algunas definiciones de enfermedad mental dan por sentado lo que constituye un comportamiento normal
B. VI
1. (= implore) to beg for [+ forgiveness, mercy] → implorar
2. [beggar] → mendigar, pedir limosna
there's some cake going begging → queda un poco de tarta, ¿no la quiere nadie?
there's some cake going begging → queda un poco de tarta, ¿no la quiere nadie?
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
beg
[ˈbɛg] vt
[+ food, money] → mendier
(= ask for) [+ favour] → quémander, solliciter
to beg sb for sth
He begged her for forgiveness → Il la supplia de lui pardonner.
She begged him for help → Elle le supplia de l'aider.
We are not going to beg them for help → Nous n'allons pas les supplier de nous aider.
I beg your pardon (apologising) → excusez-moi; (not hearing) → pardon?
I beg to differ → je ne suis pas de votre avis
to beg sb for sth
He begged her for forgiveness → Il la supplia de lui pardonner.
She begged him for help → Elle le supplia de l'aider.
We are not going to beg them for help → Nous n'allons pas les supplier de nous aider.
I beg your pardon (apologising) → excusez-moi; (not hearing) → pardon?
I beg to differ → je ne suis pas de votre avis
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
beg
vt
money, alms → betteln um
(= crave, ask for) forgiveness, mercy, a favour → bitten um; to beg something of somebody → jdn um etw bitten; he begged to be allowed to … → er bat darum, … zu dürfen; the children begged me to let them go to the circus → die Kinder bettelten, ich solle sie in den Zirkus gehen lassen; to beg leave to do something → um Erlaubnis bitten, etw tun zu dürfen; I beg leave to be dismissed (form) → gestatten Sie, dass ich mich entferne? (form); I beg to inform you … (form) → ich erlaube mir, Sie davon in Kenntnis zu setzen …; I beg to differ → ich erlaube mir, anderer Meinung zu sein ? pardon
to beg the question → die Frage offenlassen; something begs the question whether … → etw wirft die Frage auf, ob …
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
beg
[bɛg]1. vt
a. (entreat) → supplicare, pregare; (favour) → chiedere; (subj, beggar, food, money) → mendicare
he begged me for mercy → mi supplicava di aver pietà
he begged me to help him → mi ha supplicato or pregato di aiutarlo
to beg forgiveness → implorare perdono
I beg your pardon (apologising) → mi scusi (not hearing) → scusi?
I beg to differ → mi permetto di non essere d'accordo
he begged me for mercy → mi supplicava di aver pietà
he begged me to help him → mi ha supplicato or pregato di aiutarlo
to beg forgiveness → implorare perdono
I beg your pardon (apologising) → mi scusi (not hearing) → scusi?
I beg to differ → mi permetto di non essere d'accordo
b. this begs the question → questo dà per scontato ciò che dev'essere ancora dimostrato
2. vi (entreat) to beg for → implorare; (beggar) → chiedere l'elemosina or la carità
it's going begging (fam) → non lo vuole proprio nessuno
it's going begging (fam) → non lo vuole proprio nessuno
beg off vi + adv → disdire
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
beg
(beg) – past tense, past participle begged – verb1. to ask (someone) for (money, food etc). The old man was so poor that he had to beg in the street; He begged (me) for money.
2. to ask (someone) desperately or earnestly. I beg you not to do it.
ˈbeggar noun a person who lives by begging. The beggar asked for money for food.
verb to make very poor. He was beggared by the collapse of his firm.
beggar description to be so great in some way that it cannot be described. Her beauty beggars description.
beg to differ to disagree. You may think that he should get the job but I beg to differ.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
beg
→ يَسْتَجْدِي prosit tigge betteln ικετεύω suplicar kerjätä supplier moliti implorare 物乞いをする 구걸하다 bedelen tigge poprosić implorar, pedir просить tigga ขอร้อง yalvarmak năn nỉ 乞求Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
beg
vt. pedir, rogar, mendigar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012