{
    "term": "beg",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "beg",
            "heSheIt": "begs"
        },
        "pastSimple": "begged",
        "pastParticiple": "begged",
        "ingForm": "begging"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to ask somebody for something especially in an anxious way because you want or need it very much",
            "sensetop": "beg for somethingbeg somebody for somethingbeg somebodybeg somethingbeg something of/from somebodybeg (somebody) + speechbeg somebody to do somethingbeg to do somethingbeg that…beg of somebodybeg somebody's something",
            "labels": "(formal)(British English also)(formal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Now you have to **beg and plead**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He wants to see them **beg for mercy**.",
                    "contextForm": "beg for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They begged him for help.",
                    "contextForm": "beg somebody for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Forgive me, I beg you!",
                    "contextForm": "beg somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She begged permission to leave.",
                    "contextForm": "beg something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I managed to beg a lift from a passing motorist.",
                    "contextForm": "beg something of/from somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Can I beg a favour of you?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘Give me one more chance,’ he begged (her).",
                    "contextForm": "beg (somebody) + speech"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I begged him not to go.",
                    "contextForm": "beg somebody to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He begged to be told the truth.",
                    "contextForm": "beg to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She begged that she be allowed to go.",
                    "contextForm": "beg that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She begged that she should be allowed to go."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Don't leave me here, I beg of you!",
                    "contextForm": "beg of somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have come to apologize and to beg your forgiveness.",
                    "contextForm": "beg somebody's something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We went to him to beg for forgiveness."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In the end they almost begged him to take the job."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["almost", "practically", "humbly"],
                "verb + beg": ["be forced to", "have to"],
                "preposition": ["for", "of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to ask somebody for money, food, etc., especially in the street",
            "sensetop": "beg for somethingbeg for something from somebodybeg something from somebodybeg something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "A young woman was begging in the street."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a begging letter *(= one that asks somebody for money)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a begging bowl *(= used to beg for money with)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The children were begging for food.",
                    "contextForm": "beg for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They will have to beg for money from tourists.",
                    "contextForm": "beg for something from somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We managed to beg a meal from the cafe owner.",
                    "contextForm": "beg something from somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They went off to beg food.",
                    "contextForm": "beg something"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Money", "Social issues"],
            "collocations": {
                "verb + beg": ["be forced to", "have to"],
                "preposition": ["for", "from"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "if a dog begs, it sits on its back legs with its front legs in the air, waiting to be given something",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to ask somebody for permission to do something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I beg leave to add a few comments of my own."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "if something is going begging, it is available because nobody else wants it",
            "labels": "(British English, informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I’ll have that last cake if it’s going begging."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to ask somebody to forgive you for something you have said or done",
            "labels": "(formal, especially British English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He returned to beg her pardon for his sudden outburst."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to make somebody want to ask a question that has not yet been answered",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "All of which begs the question as to who will fund the project."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to talk about something as if it were definitely true, even though it might not be",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These assumptions beg the question that children learn languages more easily than adults."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "used to tell somebody that you are sorry for something you have said or done",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I beg your pardon, I thought that was my coat."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "used to ask somebody to repeat what they have just said because you did not hear",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘It's on Duke Street.’ ‘I beg your pardon.’ ‘Duke Street.’"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "used to tell somebody that you are offended by what they have just said or by the way that they have said it",
            "labels": "(British English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘Just go away.’ ‘I beg your pardon!’"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say politely that you do not agree with something that has just been said",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘At least she is good at her job.’ ‘Oh, I beg to differ.’"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/beɡ/",
                "audio": "be/beg/beg__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/beɡz/",
                "audio": "be/beg/begs__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/beɡd/",
                "audio": "be/beg/begged__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbeɡɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/beg/begging__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/beɡ/",
                "audio": "be/beg/beg__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/beɡz/",
                "audio": "be/beg/begs__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/beɡd/",
                "audio": "be/beg/begged__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbeɡɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/beg/begging__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: probably from Old English bedecian, of Germanic origin; related to bid2."
}