pleading
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.showing in your voice or face that you are begging for something or want someone to be kind.
adj.expressing an earnest, humble, or urgent entreaty; often used to describe facial expressions or vocal tones.
Simple“The dog gave her a pleading look when she finished her sandwich.”
In context“He spoke in a pleading tone, hoping to convince the committee to grant him one final extension on the project deadline.”
SynonymsimploringbeseechingentreatingAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.formal written statements that people in a court case give to the judge to explain their side.
n.formal written statements filed by the parties in a civil or criminal case that state their respective claims and defences.
Simple“The lawyer spent the afternoon preparing the pleading for the new case.”
In context“The judge reviewed the initial pleadings to determine whether the plaintiff had sufficient grounds to proceed with the litigation.”
UsageOften used in the plural form 'pleadings' to refer to the entire set of documents.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.the act of asking for something in a very strong or emotional way.
v.the present participle or gerund of 'plead', referring to the act of making an earnest appeal or a formal statement in court.
Simple“Pleading with him was useless because he had already made up his mind.”
In context“After hours of pleading for mercy, the prisoner was finally allowed to speak with a legal representative.”
Usage pleading no contest
“I’m pleading with parents and schools today to use every opportunity to have really direct conversations with young people.”
“Five years after her son's death, Fiona Connolly recalls pleading with hospital staff to save her son.”
By surface analysis, plead + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.