verb
beg
BEHG
verb
1
To ask urgently for something, often money, food, or a favor.
"The homeless man begged for spare change outside the station."
"She begged her boss for one more day to finish the report."
2
To plead earnestly with someone, especially to be forgiven or spared.
"He begged the judge for leniency."
How to Use Beg
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo ask for something urgently, often out of need or desperation.
Common mistake
"Beg the question" in strict usage means to assume the very thing you're trying to prove — not simply "to raise the question," though that looser meaning is now very common in everyday speech.
Common pairings
beg for mercy
beg forgiveness
beg to differ
Word Forms
begged past tense, begs plural, Begs plural, begs singular
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English beggen, a word of murky origin possibly connected to Old English roots meaning "to petition" or "to pray" — ultimately related to the verb "bid."