beg
v.v. to ask for something in a very strong, serious, or emotional way because you need it badly. You might do this when you are in trouble or when you are asking for money on the street.
v. to ask for something in an earnest, humble, or urgent manner; to solicit alms as a means of subsistence. Transitive when followed by a direct object or a 'to' infinitive; intransitive when referring to the act of soliciting charity.
He had to beg for some spare change to buy a sandwich.
The prisoner began to beg for mercy as the judge prepared to announce the final sentence.
Despite his pride, the fallen aristocrat was forced to beg his former rivals for a loan to save his family estate from being seized by the bank.
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”).
From Proto-Turkic *bēg.
The verb is often followed by 'for' plus a noun, or by an object and a 'to' infinitive ('begged him to stay').
I beg you for help meI beg you to help meWhen asking someone to do something, beg is followed by an object and a 'to' infinitive, not 'for' plus a verb.