Synonyms for ask
æsk, ɑskask

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. ask

   One asks what he feels that he may fairly claim and reasonably expect; "if a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father," Luke xi, 11; he begs for that to which he advances no claim but pity. Demand is a determined and often an arrogant word; one may rightfully demand what is his own or his due, when it is withheld or denied; or he may wrongfully demand that to which he has no claim but power. Require is less arrogant and obtrusive than demand, but is exceedingly strenuous; as, the court requires the attendance of witnesses. Entreat implies a special earnestness of asking, and beseech, a still added and more humble intensity; beseech was formerly often used as a polite intensive for beg or pray; as, I beseech you to tell me. To implore is to ask with weeping and lamentation; to supplicate is to ask, as it were, on bended knees. Crave and request are somewhat formal terms; crave has almost disappeared from conversation; request would seem distant between parent and child. Pray is now used chiefly of address to the Supreme Being; petition is used of written request to persons in authority; as, to petition the legislature to pass an act, or the governor to pardon an offender.

   Synonyms:
   beg, beseech, crave, demand, entreat, implore, petition, pray, request, require, solicit, supplicate

   Antonyms:
   claim, command, deny, enforce, exact, extort, insist, refuse, reject

   Preposition:
   Ask a person for a thing; ask a thing of or from a person; ask after or about one's health, welfare, friends, etc.

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ask, inquire, enquireverb

   inquire about

   "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times"

   Synonyms:
   postulate, need, require, expect, demand, inquire, enquire, take, investigate, wonder, involve, call for, necessitate

2. askverb

   make a request or demand for something to somebody

   "She asked him for a loan"

   Synonyms:
   postulate, need, require, expect, demand, inquire, enquire, take, involve, call for, necessitate

3. askverb

   direct or put; seek an answer to

   "ask a question"

   Synonyms:
   postulate, need, require, expect, demand, inquire, enquire, take, involve, call for, necessitate

4. ask, require, expectverb

   consider obligatory; request and expect

   "We require our secretary to be on time"; "Aren't we asking too much of these children?"; "I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons"

   Synonyms:
   await, call for, demand, enquire, inquire, need, look, involve, wait, want, require, have a bun in the oven, necessitate, postulate, anticipate, gestate, take, carry, command, expect, bear

5. askverb

   address a question to and expect an answer from

   "Ask your teacher about trigonometry"; "The children asked me about their dead grandmother"

   Synonyms:
   postulate, need, require, expect, demand, inquire, enquire, take, involve, call for, necessitate

6. necessitate, ask, postulate, need, require, take, involve, call for, demandverb

   require as useful, just, or proper

   "It takes nerve to do what she did"; "success usually requires hard work"; "This job asks a lot of patience and skill"; "This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"; "This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"; "This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent"

   Synonyms:
   require, read, pick up, occupy, subscribe to, withdraw, lead, ingest, inquire, take on, carry, deal, assume, have, hold, choose, study, learn, fill, necessitate, bespeak, invite, imply, consume, drive, hire, posit, consider, need, rent, pick out, collect, quest, contract, adopt, film, remove, demand, gather up, lease, take aim, want, take up, train, strike, use up, select, take, engage, make, claim, regard, enquire, request, get hold of, exact, take away, pack, call for, affect, expect, bring, command, submit, convey, shoot, aim, direct, contend, charter, get, contain, take in, subscribe, involve, acquire, look at, postulate, accept, guide, admit, conduct

7. askverb

   require or ask for as a price or condition

   "He is asking $200 for the table"; "The kidnappers are asking a million dollars in return for the release of their hostage"

   Synonyms:
   postulate, need, require, expect, demand, inquire, enquire, take, involve, call for, necessitate

Matched Categories

1. • Demand
   • Formulate
   • Request

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. askverb

   Synonyms:
   question, interrogate, inquire of, put the question to

2. askverb

   Synonyms:
   request, solicit, petition, beseech, implore, supplicate, crave, beg, desire, entreat, pray for, prefer a petition for, make application for

3. askverb

   Synonyms:
   require, claim, demand, challenge, call for

4. askverb

   Synonyms:
   petition, beg, pray

5. askverb

   Synonyms:
   inquire, question, make inquiry

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. askverb

   Synonyms:
   inquire, question, interrogate, quiz, catechize, request, solicit, petition, supplicate, entreat, desire, beg, seek, beseech, crave, implore, importune, dun, apply, require, demand, expect, challenge, exact, claim, invite, bid

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "ask":

   request, seek, question, wonder, urge, pose, invite, claim, call, demand, asking, put, questions, asked, application, requests, requested, require, please, enquire, requesting, apply, poser, q

Concise Medical Dictionary, by Joseph C Segen, MDRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ASK

   Synonyms:
   Cardiology Australian StreptoKinase trial in stroke

Suggested Resources

1. ask

   Song lyrics by ask -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by ask on the Lyrics.com website.

2. ASK

   What does ASK stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the ASK acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce ask?

How to say ask in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use ask in a sentence?

1. John F. Kennedy:

   And so, my fellow americans ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

2. George Bernard Shaw:

   You see things as they are and ask, 'Why' I dream things as they never were and ask, 'Why not'

3. Trey Gowdy:

   The responsible thing to do is to ask her and ask the State Department to produce a copy of it. And if she did not sign it, ask her why she did not sign it. And if she did sign it, we'll go over the document with her.

4. Rand Paul:

   You go back and you ask Debbie Wasserman Schultz if she's okay with killing a seven pound baby that is just not yet born yet. Ask her when life begins, and you ask Debbie when she's willing to protect life, when you get an answer from Debbie, come back to me.

5. Eknath Easwaran:

   The Sufis advise us to speak only after our words have managed to pass through three gates. At the first gate we ask ourselves, Are these words true? If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go. At the second gate we ask, Are they necessary? At the last gate we ask, Are they kind?