What does "beg" mean?

1. (to ask for money/food) to ask people for money or food because you are very poor. 2. (to plead urgently) to ask for something in a very strong, emotional way. 3. (to lack something) to clearly need or lack something important.

beg

US //ˈbɛɡ// UK //bˈɛɡ// beg

1 to ask for money/food (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to ask people for money or food because you are very poor.

to solicit charity, typically in a public place, due to lack of resources.

Example

He saw a man begging for spare change outside the train station.

Example

Despite the city's wealth, many people are still forced to beg for food in the shadows of the financial district.
- solicit
- implore
- give
- provide
2 to plead urgently (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to ask for something in a very strong, emotional way.

to entreat or plead with someone for a favour, mercy, or help. Often used with a direct object of the person being asked.

Example

The children begged their parents to let them stay up late.

Example

The prisoner begged for mercy, but the judge remained unmoved by his emotional testimony.
- plead
- beseech
- entreat
- demand
- order

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3 to lack something (v.)
C2 Proficiency Literary

to clearly need or lack something important.

to be in obvious need of something; often used in the phrase 'begs description' or 'begs belief'.

Example

The beauty of the mountain sunrise almost begs description.

Example

The sheer scale of the destruction begs belief, leaving even the most experienced rescue workers in a state of shock.
- lack
- require

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.

Idioms4 entries