What does implore mean?
Implore is a formal verb meaning to ask someone very urgently, often pleadingly, for help, mercy, or another form of assistance. It conveys a stronger emotional appeal than a simple request and may suggest desperation, moral seriousness, or deep concern. A person might implore a judge for mercy, implore a government to change a policy, or implore a friend to answer a message. The word can also be used more broadly for an earnest request, though that use is less common. Its elevated register makes it especially suitable for legal proceedings, literature, journalism, and formal speeches. Although implore often describes a request made to another person, it can also be followed by a clause identifying the action requested, as in “She implored them to wait.” It is less common than beg or ask in neutral everyday conversation, but it usefully conveys the intensity and sincerity of the appeal.
verbTo ask or appeal to someone urgently and earnestly, especially for help or mercy. It can also mean to request something with strong feeling or desperation.
- To ask or appeal to someone urgently and earnestly for help, mercy, or some other form of assistance.
- To request or demand something with strong feeling, often in a situation involving desperation or anxiety.
"The condemned prisoner implored the judge to show mercy."
"She implored her neighbors to help find the missing child."
"The campaigners implored the government to reconsider the proposed restrictions."
From the Latin for “call loudly,” implore has always carried the emotional force of a desperate appeal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does implore come from?
Implore comes from Latin implorare, formed from the prefix im- or in- and plorare, meaning “to call out” or “to cry aloud.” The original sense was to call upon someone or invoke a deity, and the word developed into the English sense of appealing earnestly for help. It is related to Latin plorare, the source of English deplore and deplorable, while imploration and implorative are later English derivatives of the same root.
Related word forms
How implore is actually used
Implore is formal and often suggests an urgent, heartfelt, or desperate request. It is commonly used in literary, legal, and historical contexts; in everyday speech, ask, beg, or plead may be more natural.
Easily confused with implore
Implore means to ask or appeal to someone, whereas explore means to investigate or travel through an area or subject.