Implore

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Implore

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

verb

Pronunciation

im-PLOR  /ɪmˈplɔː/

Definition

To beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something; to entreat urgently.

Plain meaning

To implore someone is to beg them very urgently and earnestly — more intensely than simply asking. I implore you to reconsider means I am begging you, urgently, please think again. A prisoner might implore a judge for mercy. A parent might implore a child to be safe. The word carries emotional intensity and a sense of desperation — the person imploring needs something badly and is appealing directly to the other's compassion or authority.

Register

Formal to literary. Implore is more formal than beg and more emotionally intense than ask or request. It is used in formal writing, literary prose, and speeches. In everyday spoken English, beg or plead is more common. Implore you to is a standard formal construction for urgent appeals.