All 6 Uses of
beseech
in
Crime and Punishment, by Dostoyevsky
- Then she came straight from the Cathedral to us, told us the whole story, wept bitterly and, fully penitent, she embraced Dounia and besought her to forgive her.†
Chpt 1.3 *besought = asked strongly or begged for something
- She was howling, shrieking and wailing, rapidly, hurriedly, incoherently, so that he could not make out what she was talking about; she was beseeching, no doubt, not to be beaten, for she was being mercilessly beaten on the stairs.†
Chpt 2.2beseeching = asking or begging
- Raskolnikov gave his own name and address, and, as earnestly as if it had been his father, he besought the police to carry the unconscious Marmeladov to his lodging at once.†
Chpt 2.7besought = asked strongly or begged for something
- "But I'll go to the landlady here," Pulcheria Alexandrovna insisted, "Ill beseech her to find some corner for Dounia and me for the night.†
Chpt 3.1
- Sonia followed Katerina Ivanovna, weeping and beseeching her to return home, but Katerina Ivanovna was not to be persuaded.†
Chpt 5.5beseeching = asking or begging
- Don't follow me, I beseech you, I have somewhere else to go....But you go at once and sit with mother.†
Chpt 6.7
Definition:
to ask strongly or beg for something
Beseech is common in classic literature. Though its usage has doubled in recent decades, it remains a rare word in modern writing.
Synonym Comparison (if you're into word choice):
Beseech is similar to beg or entreat. Beg implies the request for a personal favor, while entreat implies an attempt to overcome resistance.
Synonym Comparison (if you're into word choice):
Beseech is similar to beg or entreat. Beg implies the request for a personal favor, while entreat implies an attempt to overcome resistance.