What does entreating mean?
"Entreating" is the present participle of the verb "entreat," meaning to ask someone earnestly and urgently for something, usually with a tone of pleading or heartfelt appeal. When a character in a novel is described as entreating a judge, a king, or a lover, the word signals more than simple asking: it implies sincerity, urgency, and often a degree of desperation or humility on the part of the speaker. The term is formal and distinctly literary in flavor, appearing frequently in classic fiction, drama, and historical narrative, though less so in everyday conversation. Its closest synonyms include pleading, imploring, beseeching, and supplicating, all of which share this sense of an earnest appeal directed at someone with power over the outcome. Derived from Latin roots shared with "treat" and "treaty," the word carries a long history in English dating back several centuries. Knowing it enriches one's reading of older texts and offers a precise, evocative alternative to plainer verbs of asking.
verbThe present participle of "entreat": to ask someone earnestly and anxiously to do something, often with an emotional or pleading quality.
- To make an earnest, urgent plea to someone, typically asking them to do or not do something.
- To plead as if begging, often implying humility or desperation in the person making the request.
"She spent the night entreating the judge to spare her brother's life."
"The villagers crowded around the governor's carriage, entreating him to reconsider his decision."
""Stay just one more day," he said, entreating her with his eyes."
"Entreat" comes from the same Latin root as "treat" and "treaty" — so when you entreat someone, you are, quite literally, negotiating from a position of desperation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of entreating
"Entreat" entered English in the late Middle Ages, likely influenced by Anglo-French "entraiter" ("to treat, deal with"), built on the Latin root "tractare," meaning to handle or manage — the same source that gives us "treat" and "treaty." Over time its meaning narrowed from general treatment or negotiation toward the specific sense of earnest pleading. Related forms such as "entreaty" developed alongside it, preserving the sense of a formal, heartfelt appeal.
Related word forms
How entreating is actually used
Formal and somewhat literary in register; common in classic literature and legal or historical writing. It carries a connotation of urgency, sincerity, and often humility — the speaker is appealing rather than demanding.
Easily confused with entreating
"Entrusting" means giving someone responsibility for something, while "entreating" means earnestly begging or pleading with them.