BESEECH Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

beseech

verb

bi-ˈsēch

as in to beg

to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner parishioners ardently beseeched the local bishop not to close their beloved church

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word beseech distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of beseech are adjure, beg, entreat, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy

implored her not to leave him

In what contexts can adjure take the place of beseech?

While in some cases nearly identical to beseech, adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

When is beg a more appropriate choice than beseech?

The words beg and beseech are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

When is it sensible to use entreat instead of beseech?

The meanings of entreat and beseech largely overlap; however, entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

When could importune be used to replace beseech?

Although the words importune and beseech have much in common, importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

Where would supplicate be a reasonable alternative to beseech?

In some situations, the words supplicate and beseech are roughly equivalent. However, supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of beseech One of its products, a stablecoin, owes its value to Binance, whose co-founder Changpeng Zhao is beseeching Trump to pardon him after a money laundering conviction. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025 Almost every time there’s a close call the player comes up twirling his finger, beseeching his coach to ask for a review. —

Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025 McKellen beseeched the audience at the Princess of Wales Theatre. —

Brent Lang, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025 Prayer is a basic practice of almost all religions, and what is prayer if not a beseeching of a synchronicity from God? —

Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beseech

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beseech

Verb

As a kid in Rochester, New York, Kane begged his parents for a dollar to play.

— Anna Rahmanan, thehustle.co, 9 Jan. 2026
While eating at the restaurant with her parents, Black begged for her own tasty drink and the bartender whipped one up, naming it after her.

— Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026