begging
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the act of asking strangers for money or food in the street because you have none.
the practice of soliciting money, food, or other charity from others, typically in public spaces.
Simple“The city has seen an increase in begging outside the main train station.”
In context“Local authorities implemented new social programmes aimed at reducing street begging by providing more accessible shelter and mental health support.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun to describe the social phenomenon.
Synonymssolicitingpanhandling - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of asking for something very strongly or emotionally.
the act of making an intense, humble, or emotional plea for a favour, mercy, or information.
Simple“Despite her constant begging, her parents refused to let her go to the party.”
In context“It took months of persistent begging before the archives finally granted the researcher access to the restricted historical documents.”
Synonyms
From Middle English begging, beggyng, beggynge, equivalent to beg + -ing (gerund ending).
From Middle English beggin, beggyn, beggyng, (also beggand), present participle of beggen (“to beg”), equivalent to beg + -ing (participle ending).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.