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Glite Dictionary
entreaty

entreaty

7 7.6
A serious, urgent request for help or forgiveness
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈtriːti/
: súplica
  • The child looked up with an entreaty in her eyes, hoping her parents would let her stay up late.
  • resisted entreaties

They made all these entreaties to the UN, to international organizations.

Examples

  • And it works; God hears their entreaty and sheathes his sword.

    Academic text (2005)

  • They made all these entreaties to the UN, to international organizations.

    Robinson Erhardt

  • And at his entreaty, it was practically arranged that I give you in marriage to him.

    Captain from Castile (1947)

  • Sir, may we hope... ...that a formal entreaty to the authorities in Richmond... ...may effect a transfer of the entire brigade to the valley?

    Gods and Generals (2003)

  • In his eyes, I thought I read both entreaty and forgiveness; but I can't be sure.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • We are not here to make threats, merely entreaties.

    The Wind and the Lion (1975)

  • Then, he repeats his whispered entreaty: to clean their refuge.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • At the mute entreaty in Nate's eyes, she stopped and left the sentence unfinished.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Credited in part to the success of Washington's eloquent entreaty, the Atlantans received their funding.

    Blog text (22)

  • Momoko, unable to withstand her parents' entreaties any longer, would be leaving Matsumoto at the end of the summer.

    Fiction book (1996)

Synonyms

plea
vsentreaty
132 3.9

A strong request asking people for help or support

is more emotionally intense and urgent than the humble request
appeal
vsentreaty
91 2.9

A serious request for help or action

is more inwardly emotional and serious rather than broadly requesting action
prayer
vsentreaty
16 2.5

A serious request to someone in charge asking for help

is more about deep feeling and seriousness than about who is addressed
supplication
vsentreaty
  • Formal
8 8.7

A humble request for help from someone in power or from God

is emotional and urgent but not necessarily humble or prayerful
petition
vsentreaty
  • Formal
3 4.6

A request made to a god for help or blessing

is urgent and deeply emotional rather than solemnly reverent
suppliance
vsentreaty
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A humble request that someone makes to a person in power

is more emotionally urgent and personal than the formal act of asking
imploration
vsentreaty
1 8.5

A strong, urgent request for help

is urgent and earnest but less desperate in tone

Antonyms

refusal
117 1.4

An act of saying you will not accept or agree to something

denial
101 2.8

Refusing a request or saying something is not true

How Earnest

imploration
1 8.5
entreaty
7 7.6
plea
132 3.9
request
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

entreaty singular
entreaties plural

Morphology

entreaty = entreat (transparent) = entreat + y

Formed directly from the verb 'entreat' with the noun-forming suffix '-y', so the meaning 'an earnest request' is predictable.

Etymology

Entreaty comes from the verb entreat, which is built on the same root as treat and originally meant to 'deal with' or negotiate between people. So an entreaty is a serious or emotional 'request'—you are asking someone to act or help.