Word
beseech
Phoneticsbe·seech, stress on the second syllable
US/biˈsitʃ/
UK/bɪsˈiːtʃ/
Definition
v. to ask for something very politely and with a lot of feeling. You use this when you are asking for help or forgiveness in a very serious way.
v. to implore or entreat someone earnestly for a specific action or favor. Often carries a formal or literary tone, frequently used in religious or legal contexts.
Examples
“She beseeched the judge for a second chance.”
“The charity beseeched the public for donations to help the families affected by the recent flood.”
“In his final letter, the poet beseeched his former lover to remember the beauty of their shared past, even as he acknowledged the irreparable nature of their parting.”
Examples
simple
“She beseeched the judge for a second chance.”
contextual
“The charity beseeched the public for donations to help the families affected by the recent flood.”
complex
“In his final letter, the poet beseeched his former lover to remember the beauty of their shared past, even as he acknowledged the irreparable nature of their parting.”
Real-World Examples
“Throughout his poems and other writing, Berry beseeched readers to focus on what they actually need and not what they want or think they need.” “Their intent eyes sat in identically sunken sockets and they shared an ability to invest wheedling, feeble or beseeching characters with unexpected notes of comedy, pity or menace.” Etymology
From Middle English besechen, bisechen, prefixed form of Old English sēċan (“to seek or inquire about”); compare the doublet beseek, from the same dialect that gave seek. Cognate with Saterland Frisian besäike (“to visit”), Dutch bezoeken (“to visit, attend, see”), German besuchen (“to visit, attend, see”), Swedish besöka (“to visit, go to see”). By surface analysis, be- + seech.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/beseech