ENGLISH
REFERENCE

beseech

v.
C2 Proficiency US //biˈsitʃ// UK //bɪsˈiːtʃ// be·seech Archaic

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.


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.

Synonyms
Origin

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.

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