Word
beg
US/ˈbɛɡ/
UK/bˈɛɡ/
Definitions
01to ask for money/food
v. to ask people for money or food because you are very poor.
v. to solicit charity, typically in a public place, due to lack of resources.
“He saw a man begging for spare change outside the train station.”
“Despite the city's wealth, many people are still forced to beg for food in the shadows of the financial district.”
02to plead urgently
v. to ask for something in a very strong, emotional way.
v. to entreat or plead with someone for a favour, mercy, or help. Often used with a direct object of the person being asked.
“The children begged their parents to let them stay up late.”
“The prisoner begged for mercy, but the judge remained unmoved by his emotional testimony.”
04to lack something
v. to clearly need or lack something important.
v. to be in obvious need of something; often used in the phrase 'begs description' or 'begs belief'.
“The beauty of the mountain sunrise almost begs description.”
“The sheer scale of the destruction begs belief, leaving even the most experienced rescue workers in a state of shock.”
Literary
Real-World Examples
“She begged the officers to loosen them, but they did not.” “She begged staff to let her keep him.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
beg for one's life — To plead or make a desperate attempt to continue with what one has been doing.
beg off — To obtain somebody's permission to skip or cancel an event that one has previously arranged with them.
beg to differ — To offer an opposing opinion humbly.
good voice to beg bacon — An unpleasant-sounding voice.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/beg