beg
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beg¹
- /ˈbɛɡ/
- [ˈbɛɡ]
- /ˈbeɡ/ Australia
- [ˈbeɡ] Australia
- /ˈbe̝ɡ/ New Zealand
- [ˈbe̝ɡ] New Zealand
- /ˈbeɪ̯ɡ/
- [ˈbeɪ̯ɡ]
Sounds like bag (/æ/ raising) · Rhymes with -ɛɡ
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English beggen, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English *becgian, *bedcian, syncopated forms of bedecian (“to beg”), itself of obscure origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *bedukōn, a frequentative verb derived from Proto-West Germanic *bedu (“plea, petition, prayer”, whence English bead). Alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *bedagō (“petitioner, requester, beggar”), an agent noun from the same source. Compare North Frisian bēdagi (“to pray”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰 (bidagwa, “beggar”). All ultimately from the root of English bid, which see for more. An alternative theory considers the verb a backformation from beggar and derives the latter from Old French begart (“kind of lay brother”).
verb begs · begging · begged
- To request the help of someone, often in the form of money. He begged on the street corner from passers-by.
-
To plead with someone for help, a favor, etc.; to entreat.
I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to cause offence.
Similar: supplicate
- To unwillingly provoke a negative, often violent, reaction. The way you keep eating raw meat, you're just begging to get tapeworms.
- To obviously lack or be in need of something. A captivating novel that just begs for a movie adaptation
- In the phrase beg the question: to assume.
-
In the phrase beg the question: to raise (a question).
Opposite: set aside
- To ask to be appointed guardian for, or to ask to have a guardian appointed for. Else some will beg thee, in the court of wards.
noun begs
- The act of begging; an imploring request. “Lord,” I prayed, “it's a long time since I came to You for anything besides a quick beg for help. And it seems every time I come to You I'm asking something bigger, more impossible. But I'm here again. […]
- A pretentious, attention-seeking, or eccentric person. Girls told me about not wanting to be seen by boys as "too much", "too loud", "weird", "annoying", a "pick me", or "a beg" (someone looking for attention). They told me how boys can be loud and funny, but that girls had better not.
beg²
- /ˈbɛɡ/
- [ˈbɛɡ]
- /ˈbeɡ/ Australia
- [ˈbeɡ] Australia
- /ˈbe̝ɡ/ New Zealand
- [ˈbe̝ɡ] New Zealand
- /ˈbeɪ̯ɡ/
- [ˈbeɪ̯ɡ]
Sounds like bag (/æ/ raising) · Rhymes with -ɛɡ
Where it comes from
From Proto-Turkic *bēg.
noun begs
- Alternative form of bey Yaqub Beg (c. 1820 – 1877)
beg³
- /ˈbɛɡ/
- [ˈbɛɡ]
- /ˈbeɡ/ Australia
- [ˈbeɡ] Australia
- /ˈbe̝ɡ/ New Zealand
- [ˈbe̝ɡ] New Zealand
- /ˈbeɪ̯ɡ/
- [ˈbeɪ̯ɡ]
Sounds like bag (/æ/ raising) · Rhymes with -ɛɡ
noun
- Abbreviation of beginning Knit with MC until work measures 3 inches from beg.
Beg⁴
Where it comes from
Various origins:
* As an Islamic (Indian subcontinent as Hindi बेग (beg)) and sometimes Serbo-Croatian surname, from the Turkish title beg, an older form of bey. See Bey; also compare Baig.
* Borrowed from Slovene Beg, from beg (“escape, getaway”).
proper noun Begs
- A surname from Hindi.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: implore, solicit, pray, tap, entreat, beseech, demand, adjure, plead, pardon, request, appeal, ask, question, application, seek
Translations
Every language
verb to request the help of someone, often in the form of money
| Español | mendigar, pordiosear |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 請う kou |
| 中文 | 央求 yāngqiú, 求 qiú, 乞討 /乞讨 qǐtǎo |
| हिन्दी | भीख माँगना bhīkh māṅgnā |
| Português | mendigar |
| Français | mendier, quêter, quémander |
| Deutsch | betteln |
| Italiano | mendicare, elemosinare |
| Ελληνικά | ζητιανεύω zitianévo, επαιτώ epaitó |
| Română | cerși |
| Русский | проси́ть prosítʹ, попроси́ть poprosítʹ, попроша́йничать poprošájničatʹ, побира́ться pobirátʹsja, выпра́шивать vyprášivatʹ, кля́нчить kljánčitʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | ăn xin |
| العربية | اِسْتَجْدَى istajdā, تَسَوَّلَ tasawwala |
| עברית | ביקש \ בִּקֵּשׁ bikésh, קיבץ נדבות kibéts n'davót |
verb to plead with someone for help
| Español | suplicar, rogar, deprecar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 부탁하다 butakhada, 빌다 bilda, 탄원하다 tanwonhada, 구걸하다 gugeolhada, 간청하다 gancheonghada, 애원하다 aewonhada |
| 日本語 | 頼む tanomu, 拝み倒す ogamitaosu |
| 中文 | 央求 yāngqiú, 求 qiú |
| Português | suplicar, implorar |
| Français | implorer, supplier |
| Deutsch | anflehen, bitten |
| Italiano | implorare, pregare |
| Ελληνικά | ικετεύω iketévo |
| Română | ruga |
| Русский | умоля́ть umoljátʹ, моли́ть molítʹ, проси́ть prosítʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | khẩn cầu |
| العربية | تَسَوَّلَ tasawwala, رَجَا rajā |
| עברית | הִתְחַנֵּן hitkhanén |
Talk about this word "beg." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/beg. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. beg. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/beg "beg." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/beg.Cite this
@misc{beg_2026,
title = {beg},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/beg},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
