First Known Use: circa 1540
Dictionary
implore
verb im·plore \im-ˈplȯr\
: to make a very serious or emotional request to (someone)
: to say (something) as a serious or emotional request
: to ask or beg for (something) in a very serious or emotional way
im·ploredim·plor·ing
Full Definition of IMPLORE
transitive verb
1
: to call upon in supplication : beseech
2
: to call or pray for earnestly : entreat <implored the crowd to be quiet>
— im·plor·ing·ly adverb
See implore defined for English-language learners
See implore defined for kids
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Origin of IMPLORE
Middle French or Latin; Middle French implorer, from Latin implorare, from in- + plorare to cry out
Related to IMPLORE
- Synonyms
- appeal (to), beseech, besiege, conjure, entreat, impetrate, beg, importune, petition, plead (to), pray, solicit, supplicate
Synonym Discussion of IMPLORE
beg, entreat, beseech, implore, supplicate, adjure, importune mean to ask urgently. beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking <they begged for help>. entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance <entreated me to join them>. beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety <I beseech you to have mercy> <implored her not to leave>. supplicate suggests a posture of humility <with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord>. adjure implies advising as well as pleading <we were adjured to tell the truth>. importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance <importuning viewers for donations>.
Rhymes with IMPLORE
abhor, adore, afore, and/or, as for, ashore, backdoor, bailor, bandore, Bangor, bedsore, before, bezoar, bookstore, box score, but for, call for, candor, captor, centaur, chain store, claymore, closed-door, cold sore, cold store, condor, Côte d'Or, decor, deplore, dime-store, Dior, done for, donor, downpour, drugstore, Dutch door, encore, ephor, explore, eyesore, fall for, feoffor, fetor, Fillmore, first floor, flexor, folklore, footsore, foreshore, fourscore, French door, full-bore, Gabor, galore, Glen More, go for, ground floor, gun for, hard-core, hog score, ichor, ignore, Indore, indoor, in for, inshore, in-store, Kotor, Lahore, lakeshore, lector, lee shore, lessor, line score, look for, Luxor, memoir, mentor, Mysore, nearshore, Nestor, next-door, offshore, onshore, outdoor, outpour, phosphor, psywar, rancor, rapport, raptor, raw score, Realtor, restore, rhetor, savior, seafloor, seashore, sector, seignior, Senghor, senhor, sensor, settlor, Seymour, signor, smoothbore, s'more, soft-core, sophomore, stand for, stentor, stertor, storm door, Strathmore, stressor, stridor, subfloor, swear for, Tagore, take for, temblor, tensor, therefor, therefore, threescore, Timor, trapdoor, turgor, uproar, vendor, what's more, wherefore, wild boar, woodlore, z-score
IMPLORING Defined for Kids
implore
verb im·plore \im-ˈplȯr\
im·ploredim·plor·ing
Definition of IMPLORE for Kids
: to make a very serious or emotional request to or for <I implored him not to go.> <… they humbly implored my mercy. — Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe>
— im·plor·ing·ly adverb
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