What does implored mean?
Implored is the past tense and past participle of implore, meaning to ask or beg someone with urgent emotion. It is commonly used when someone appeals for mercy, forgiveness, help, or another person's reconsideration: “She implored him not to abandon the family.” The word belongs to formal and literary English and conveys greater intensity and desperation than an ordinary request. It can also be used figuratively, as when a person “implored the committee to reconsider,” to suggest a persistent or heartfelt appeal. Its Latin roots reflect the idea of calling or crying out to someone, and its emphatic character makes it especially effective in serious narrative, historical, or dramatic contexts. Although it is close in meaning to begged and entreated, implored often suggests a solemn, emotionally urgent appeal.
verbTo ask or beg someone very earnestly, usually with an appeal for help, mercy, or forgiveness. “Implored” is the past tense and past participle of implore.
- To beg someone urgently to do something or not to do something.
- To plead with someone for mercy, forgiveness, help, or another favor.
"She implored her brother to reconsider before leaving for good."
"The villagers implored the authorities to provide drinking water."
"He implored his parents for another chance to explain."
The word ultimately means “call upon loudly”: its Latin ancestor combined a prefix meaning “into” with a verb for crying or wailing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does implored come from?
The present tense implore comes from Latin implorare, meaning “to call upon” or “entreat.” It was formed from the prefix in-, meaning “into” or “upon,” and plorare, meaning “to cry aloud” or “wail.” The development into English preserved the sense of making an urgent appeal, and the related nouns imploration and implorative continue to reflect the idea of pleading.
Related word forms
How implored is actually used
The word is formal and often conveys desperation or intense emotional appeal. It is stronger and more solemn than the everyday verb “ask,” while usually remaining less blunt than “demand.”