# implore

/ˌɪmˈpɫɔɹ/ (US) · /ɪmplˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/implore
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to beg someone to do something

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

to ask someone very strongly and emotionally to do something.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Often followed by an object and a to-infinitive: 'implore someone to do something'.

Teaching tip: This word is much stronger than 'ask' or 'request'; it suggests the person is desperate or in a very serious situation.

### 2. to plead for something

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

to ask for something, like help or forgiveness, in a very serious way.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Can take a direct object ('implore mercy') or be used with 'for' ('implore for help').

Teaching tip: While the metadata suggests this is archaic, it remains active in formal writing, legal contexts, and dramatic literature.

## Examples

- He implored his friends to help him finish the project.
- The stranded hikers implored the rescue team to hurry before the storm hit the valley.
- In his final letter, the scientist implored the government to reconsider its stance on the environmental protections before the habitat was permanently destroyed.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.