entreat
Syllables: en·treat/ɪnˈtɹiːt//ɪnˈtɹit/
entreat verb: to ask earnestly or beg for (something, such as a benefit or favour).
Verb
entreat (third-person singular simple present entreats, present participle entreating, simple past and past participle entreated)
- To ask earnestly or beg for (something, such as a benefit or favour).
- If you be ſhe, I doe intreat your patience / To heare me ſpeake the meſſage I am ſent on.c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
- My Lord vve muſt entreate the time alone.c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Juliet. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, published 1597, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], signature H2, verso
- Synonyms:
- supplicate
- To earnestly ask or beg (someone); to beseech, to implore.
- Then Pharaoh called for Moſes and Aaron, and ſaid, Intreat the Lord, that hee may take away the frogges from me, and from my people: […]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 8:8, signature F3, verso, column 1
- Go vvhen you vvill, (ſaid Agamemnon) fly, / Ile not entreat you for my ſake to ſtay.1676, Homer, “Iliad. Lib[er] I.”, in Tho[mas] Hobbes, transl., Homer’s Iliads in English. […], London: […] J[ames] C[ottrel] for William Crook[e] […], →OCLC, page 5
- To try to influence or persuade (someone); to induce, to prevail upon.
- [S]he could in no wiſe be intreated with her good vyll to delyuer him, […]1569, Richard Grafton, “Edwarde the Fift”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye...
- This ſhould intreat your highneſſe to reioice, / Since Fortune giues you opportunity, / To gaine the tytle of a Conquerour, […]c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
- Often followed by for: to ask earnestly or to beg for a benefit, favour, etc.; to appeal, to plead.
- [T]he rayſing of people, and aſſemble of Souldiours by him, could ſignifie no peace, nor treatie of concorde: except a man ſhould ſaye, that intreating for fauour with naked ſworde in hande, were an humble ſubmiſſion and a meeke requeſt: […]1569, Richard Grafton, “The Seuenth Age, and Seuenth Part of this Chronicle. Henrye the Sixt.”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume I, London: […] Henry...
- Still ſhe intreats, and prettily intreats, / For to a prettie eare ſhe tunes her tale.1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC, signature Bij, verso
- To make a petition or request on behalf of someone; to intercede, to plead.
- Wil ye accepte yͤ perſonne of God, and intreate for him?1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Job xiij:[8], folio...
- That if ſhe loue me, I charge her to loue thee: if ſhe vvill not, I vvill neuer haue her, vlneſſe thou intreat for her: […]c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
- To act towards or deal with (someone or something) in a specified manner; to handle, to treat.
- And here I ſpeake of the generation, wherby they doo engender, and not of that, wherby they are engendred, becauſe it ſhuld be to long to intreate, howe the chyldren of lyght are ingendred, and how they come in at the doore: and howe the children of the world be engendred, and come in an other way.1536 June 19 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, translated by [anonymous], The Sermon that the Reuerende Father in Christ, Hugh Latimer, Byshop of Worcester, Made to the Clergie, in...
- Vncle, you ſay the Queene is at your houſe, / For Gods ſake fairely let her be intreated.1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597...
- To discuss or negotiate (something); also, to discuss or negotiate with (someone).
- [T]hey entreated the ſayd companyons and offred them golde⸝ and ſyluer⸝ and paſſage: […]1523 February 7 (Gregorian calendar), Johan Froyssart [i.e., Jean Froissart], “How the Peace was Made that the Erle of Mountfort shude Abyde Duke of Bretayne⸝ […]”, in Here Begynneth the First Volum...
- To occupy oneself with (something).
- The Gardin of Proſerpina […] ſhe often vſd from open heat / Her ſelfe to ſhroud, and pleaſures to entreat.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 53, page 286
- Sometimes followed by of or upon: to give an account or description of a matter; to deal with.
- [O]f all theſe ſeuerally I intend to intreate in the folovving chapters.1610, Gervase Markham, “Of Outward Sorrances what They are, and of Certaine Generall Obseruations in the Cure of Them”, in Markhams Maister-peece. Or, What doth a Horse-man Lacke. Containing All...
- [T]he moſt admirable myſtery of Nature, in my mind, is the turning of yron touched vvith the loadſtone, tovvard the North-pole, of vvhich I ſhall have farther occaſion to intreate, […]1627, G[eorge] H[akewill], “Touching the Pretended Decay of the Heauenly Bodies”, in An Apologie of the Power and Prouidence of God in the Gouernment of the World. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Iohn...
- Often followed by about, for, or of: to discuss or negotiate, especially in order to reach a settlement.
- [B]ytwene theſe parties entreated for a peace⸝ the archbyſhoppe of Senus⸝ the byſſhoppe of Auſſer⸝ the byſſhoppe of Beaumoys⸝ the lorde of Momorency⸝ the lorde of Fyenes⸝ and the lorde of ſaynt Uenant.1523 February 7 (Gregorian calendar), Johan Froyssart [i.e., Jean Froissart], “Howe Darys was Besieged by the Duke of Normandy Regent of Fraunce”, in Here Begynneth the First Volum of Sir Johan...
- [W]hiles yͤ bones of Marcello were a brẽning [brenning, i.e., burning], ſhe was entreting to mary an other huſbãd [husband], […]1531 March 20 (date written; Gregorian calendar), [Antonio de Guevara], “A Letter Sente fro Marke the Emperour to Labinia a Romayn Widow for to Comfort Her for the Deth of Her Husbande. The .V....
Noun
entreat (plural entreats)
- Synonym of entreaty (“an act of asking earnestly or begging for something”); an appeal, a plea.
- Let my entreats of Love prevail ſo far, / VVhen for your happineſſe they ſpoken are: / Be not a Captive to the vvorld, but be / One unto Heav'n, and that is to be free.1661, S[amuel] P[ordage], [John Pordage?], “The Second Part”, in Mundorum Explicatio: Or, The Explanation of an Hieroglyphical Figure: Wherein are Couched the Myasteries of the External, Internal...
- […] I began a little chat with my fair companion, who remained standing, notwithstanding my repeated entreates that she would be seated.1817 March, Censor [pseudonym], “The Gossiper, No. XXV”, in The Ladies’ Monthly Museum, volume V, London: [Vernor & Hood?], →OCLC, page 124
- Synonyms:
- entreaty
entreat meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali
entreat in Hindi
- to entreat, beseech, implore
- प्रार्थना करना prārthanā karnā
- to entreat
- माँगना māṅgnā
entreat in Tamil
- (transitive) to ask earnestly or beg for (something); (intransitive) to ask earnestly or to beg for a benefit, favour, etc. — see also beg, beseech, implore
- கெஞ்சு keñcu
entreat in Urdu
- to entreat
- مانگنا māṅgnā
entreat in Bengali
- to entreat, beseech, coax
- সাধা śadha
More languagesFewer languages
- entreat in Malayalam
- അഭ്യർത്ഥിക്കുക, കിഴിഞ്ഞപേക്ഷിക്കുക, യാചിക്കുക, കെഞ്ചിച്ചോദിക്കുക
- entreat in Kannada
- ಬೇಡು, ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸು, ಮೊರೆಯಿಡು, ಅಂಗಲು
- entreat in Sanskrit
- पृच्छति pṛcchati
- entreat in Arabic
- اِلْتَمَسَ iltamasa, تَوَسَّلَ tawassala
- entreat in Thai
- ร้องขอ róng kŏr
Examples of entreat in a sentence
- Thy Dukedome I reſigne, and doe entreat / Thou pardon me my vvrongs: […]1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First...
- So, ſtanding only on his good Behaviour, / He's very civill, and entreats your Favour.1693, Will[iam] Congreve, “Prologue Spoken by Mrs. [Anne] Bracegirdle”, in The Old Batchelour, a Comedy. […], London: […] Peter Buck, […]...
- He [the King] entreated that they vvould elect ſuch in particular, as had expreſſed a firm attachment to the proteſtant ſucceſſion vvhen it vvas in danger.1771, [Oliver] Goldsmith, “George I”, in The History of England, from the Earliest Times to the Death of George II. […], volume IV, London...
- I entreat you vvill ſpeak explicitly, that I may prove I can loſe the mother in the ſtrict ſeverity of the judge.1797, Ann Radcliffe, chapter X, in The Italian, or The Confessional of the Black Penitents. A Romance. […], volume I, London: […] T[homas]...
Synonyms of entreat
Forms of entreat
| Verb | |
|---|---|
| third-person singular present | entreats |
| present participle | entreating |
| past participle | entreated |
| past | entreated |
| alternative form | intreat |
| second-person singular present (archaic) | entreatest |
| second-person singular past (archaic) | entreatedst |
| third-person singular present (archaic) | entreateth |
| Noun | |
| plural | entreats |
Origin of entreat
The verb is derived from Late Middle English entreten (“to deal with (someone) in a specified way; to concern oneself with (something); to deal with or give an account of (a topic); to engage in negotiation; to intercede for (someone); to plead with (someone)”), from Anglo-Norman entraiter, entretier (“to concern oneself with (something); to deal with (someone) in a specified manner; to have a conversation with (someone); to negotiate (with someone, or about something)”), Middle French entraiter, entraictier, and Old French entraictier (“to have a conversation with (someone); to concern oneself with (something)”), from en- (prefix meaning ‘in, into’) + traiter (“to be concerned with (something); to treat (someone) in a specified way”) (from Latin tractāre, the present active infinitive of tractō (“to handle, manage; to drag, haul”), from trahō (“to drag, pull; etc.”) (see that entry for the further etymology) + -tō (frequentative suffix)). The noun is derived from Late Middle English entrete (“agreement; negotiation; treatment of a subject in discourse”), from the verb.
Words formed from entreat
- entract
- entreatable
- entreatance
- entreated
- entreater
- entreatful
- entreating
- entreatingly
- entreatise
- entreative
- entreatment
- entreaty
- misentreat
- over-entreat
- unentreated
Words that rhyme with entreat
48 more rhymesFewer rhymes
- fleet
- retreat
- treat
- complete
- conceit
- repeat
- concrete
- discrete
- bittersweet
- suite
- cheat
- cleat
- deceit
- greet
- unseat
- compete
- defeat
- delete
- effete
- elite
- escheat
- indiscrete
- leet
- pleat
- skeet
- sleet
- accrete
- beet
- bleat
- gleet
- ifrit
- incomplete
- overeat
- overheat
- petite
- replete
- superheat
- teat
- tweet
- wheat
- yeet
- Bereshit
- Bow Street
- Crete
- discreet
- downbeat
- jeet
- keet
Questions about entreat
- What does entreat mean?
- Entreat means to ask earnestly or beg for (something, such as a benefit or favour).
- What is entreat in Hindi?
- Entreat in Hindi is प्रार्थना करना (prārthanā karnā), माँगना (māṅgnā). See Entreat meaning in Hindi.
- How do you use entreat in a sentence?
- Thy Dukedome I reſigne, and doe entreat / Thou pardon me my vvrongs: […]
- What part of speech is entreat?
- Entreat can be a verb or a noun.
- How do you pronounce entreat?
- Entreat is pronounced /ɪnˈtɹiːt/ (UK).
- What is the past tense of entreat?
- The past tense of entreat is entreated.
Words near entreat in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: entreat (page history and authors); प्रार्थना करना (Hindi) (page history and authors); مانگنا (Urdu) (page history and authors); সাধা (Bengali) (page history and authors); entreat (Olam, E.K. Kurup corpus) (dataset and license); entreat (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Mélange a trois-entreat.wav, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-entreat.wav.
Cite this entry: “entreat.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/entreat. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.