First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
entreat
verb en·treat \in-ˈtrēt, en-\
: to ask (someone) in a serious and emotional way
Full Definition of ENTREAT
intransitive verb
2
: to make an earnest request : plead
transitive verb
1
: to plead with especially in order to persuade : ask urgently <entreated his boss for another chance>
2
archaic : to deal with : treat
— en·treat·ing·ly \-trē-tiŋ-lē\ adverb
— en·treat·ment \-mənt\ noun
See entreat defined for English-language learners
See entreat defined for kids
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Origin of ENTREAT
Middle English entreten, from Anglo-French entreter, from en- + treter to treat
Related to ENTREAT
- Synonyms
- appeal (to), beseech, besiege, conjure, beg, impetrate, implore, importune, petition, plead (to), pray, solicit, supplicate
Synonym Discussion of ENTREAT
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 ENTREAT
accrete, aesthete, afreet, athlete, backbeat, backseat, backstreet, bedsheet, bench seat, big beat, bolete, box pleat, box seat, break beat, broadsheet, browbeat, buckwheat, bystreet, call sheet, car seat, cheat sheet, clipsheet, cloud street, cold feet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, concrete, crabmeat, crib sheet, deadbeat, dead heat, dead meat, deceit, defeat, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, disseat, downbeat, drop seat, drumbeat, dutch treat, effete, elite, en suite, escheat, excrete, facete, Fleet Street, fly sheet, forcemeat, foresheet, four-peat, gamete, groundsheet, hard wheat, heartbeat, heat-treat, helpmeet, hoofbeat, hot seat, house seat, ice sheet, ill-treat, jump seat, kick pleat, love seat, mainsheet, Main Street, maltreat, mesquite, mincemeat, mistreat, offbeat, Ossete, petite, pink sheet, preheat, rap sheet, receipt, recheat, red heat, red meat, red wheat, regreet, repeat, replete, retreat, scratch sheet, secrete, side street, slip-sheet, soft wheat, spreadsheet, stand treat, swap meet, sweetmeat, tear sheet, terete, three-peat, through street, time sheet, unmeet, unseat, upbeat, vegete, volkslied, white heat
ENTREAT Defined for Kids
entreat
verb en·treat \in-ˈtrēt\
en·treat·eden·treat·ing
Definition of ENTREAT for Kids
: to ask in a serious and urgent way <“Friends, I entreat you not to quarrel!” — L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz>
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