beseech
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English besechen, bisechen, prefixed form of Old English sēċan (“to seek or inquire about”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian besäike (“to visit”), Dutch bezoeken (“to visit, attend, see”), German besuchen (“to visit, attend, see”), Swedish besöka (“to visit, go to see”).
Pronunciation
- enPR: bĭ-sēchʹ, IPA(key): /bɪˈsiːt͡ʃ/
- Rhymes: -iːtʃ
Verb
beseech (third-person singular simple present beseeches, present participle beseeching, simple past and past participle beseeched or besought)
- to beg or implore (a person)
- 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, London, Oxford University Press, 1973, § 25:
- after what manner, I beseech you, must the mind proceed in this operation?
- 1888, Rudyard Kipling, ‘Watches of the Night’, Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio 2005, p. 61:
- She besought him, for his Soul's sake to speak the truth.
- 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 31
- Panting a little in his haste, he told her how miserable he was; he besought her to have mercy on him; he promised, if she would forgive him, to do everything she wanted.
- 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, London, Oxford University Press, 1973, § 25:
- to request or beg for
- 1990, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (translators), Fyodor Dostoevsky (author), The Brothers Karamazov, San Francisco, North Point Press, →ISBN, page 657:
- […] the tickets had all been given out, begged, besought long ago.
- 1990, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (translators), Fyodor Dostoevsky (author), The Brothers Karamazov, San Francisco, North Point Press, →ISBN, page 657:
Related terms
Translations
to beg
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