Word
implore
Phoneticsim·plore, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪmˈpɫɔɹ/
UK/ɪmplˈɔː/
Definitions
01to beg someone to do something
C1 · Advanced Formal · Literary
v. to ask someone very strongly and emotionally to do something.
v. to entreat or beseech someone to perform an action, often out of desperation or urgent necessity.
“The prisoner's family implored the judge to show mercy during the trial.”
“The refugees implored the border guards to grant them passage, citing the immediate danger they faced in their home country.”
02to plead for something
C1 · Advanced Formal · Literary
v. to ask for something, like help or forgiveness, in a very serious way.
v. to plead for a specific thing or quality earnestly; can be used transitively or with the preposition 'for'.
“She implored his forgiveness after realizing how much she had hurt him.”
“The starving villagers implored for aid as the winter supplies began to run dangerously low.”
Real-World Examples
“Morris also implored the media to be “mindful of your reporting” and to have regard for Arday’s family and the public.” “Thousands of fans gathered in central Buenos Aires, while street signs throughout the capital displayed implored Messi to play on for Argentina.” Etymology
PIE word *h₁én The verb is borrowed from Middle French implorer (modern French implorer (“to beg, plead, implore”)), or directly from its etymon Latin implōrāre, the present active infinitive of implōrō (“to beseech, entreat, implore; to appeal to, pray to”), from im- (a variant of in- (intensifying prefix)) + plōrō (“to cry out; to complain, deplore, lament”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₃(w)- (“to flow; to swim”)). The noun is derived from the verb.
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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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