51Թ

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View synonyms for

ask

1

[ask, ahsk]

verb (used with object)

  1. to put a question to; inquire of.

    I asked him but he didn't answer.

    Synonyms: ,
    Antonyms:
  2. to request information about.

    to ask the way.

  3. to try to get by using words; request.

    to ask advice; to ask a favor.

    Synonyms: ,
  4. to solicit from; request of.

    Could I ask you a favor? Ask her for advice.

    Synonyms: , ,
  5. to demand; expect.

    What price are they asking? A little silence is all I ask.

  6. to set a price of.

    to ask $20 for the hat.

  7. to call for; need; require.

    This experiment asks patience.

  8. to invite.

    to ask guests to dinner.

  9. Archaic.to publish (banns).



verb (used without object)

  1. to make inquiry; inquire.

    to ask about a person.

    Antonyms:
  2. to request or petition (usually followed byfor ).

    to ask for leniency; to ask for food.

    Synonyms: ,

noun

  1. a question or inquiry.

  2. a request, especially a demanding one.

    Is it too big an ask for you to give me a loan?

Ask

2

[ahsk]

noun

Scandinavian Mythology.
  1. the first man, made by the gods from an ash tree.

ask

1

/ ɑː /

verb

  1. (often foll by about) to put a question (to); request an answer (from)

    she asked (him) about God

  2. (tr) to inquire about

    she asked him the time of the train

    she asked the way

  3. (tr) to direct or put (a question)

  4. to make a request or demand

    she asked (him) for information

    they asked for a deposit

  5. (tr) to demand or expect (esp in the phrases ask a lot of, ask too much of )

  6. Also: ask out. ask over.(tr) to request (a person) politely to come or go to a place; invite

    he asked her to the party

  7. (tr) to need; require

    the job asks both time and patience

  8. archaic(tr) to proclaim (marriage banns)

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. informala task which is difficult to fulfil

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ask

2

/ ɑː /

noun

  1. Norse myth the first man, created by the gods from an ash tree

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • asker noun
  • unasking adjective
  • unaskingly adverb
  • ˈ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of ask1

First recorded before 900; Middle English asken, axen, Old English āscian, āxian; cognate with Old Frisian 쾱, Old Saxon ŧDz, Old High German 𾱲ō ( German heischen ), Sanskrit icchati “(he) seeks”

Origin of ask2

< Old Norse Askr; ash 2
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of ask1

Old English ; related to Old Frisian 쾱, Old Saxon ŧDz, Old High German 𾱲ō
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. ask for it, to risk or invite trouble, danger, punishment, etc., by persisting in some action or manner.

    He was asking for it by his abusive remarks.

In addition to the idioms beginning with ask, see don't ask; for the asking.
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Synonym Study

See inquire.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She said: "I'm just taking it a month at a time, but there is going to come a point where we're going to have to ask for extra help in that respect."

From

This conflict may be less than 48 hours old - but it's a question much of the world is now asking.

From

Bolla's piece is somewhat priceless, in that the museum declined to provide an estimate of its value when asked by the BBC.

From

If you have multiple cards with the same issuer, ask if the credit limit from a card you’re closing can be transferred to one you’re keeping.

From

Doherty added that one parent told him their children were asking: "Daddy why do people hate us out there?"

From

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When To Use

What is a basic definition ofask?

Ask is a verb that means to present a question to someone, to request something, or to invite someone. Ask has several other senses as a verb and a noun.If you are asking someone something, you usually want answers from them. When asking about something, you might pose several questions or politely request information about something.



  • Real-life examples: Students ask teachers questions about things that confuse them. If you forget your watch, you might ask someone what time it is. You might need to ask a store employee where the bathroom is.


  • Used in a sentence: We asked the teacher which chapters would be on the test. 


Ask can also mean to make a request for something. In this sense, it is often used in the phase “to ask ڴǰ.”



  • Real-life examples: Children ask Santa Claus for presents at Christmas. Your mom asks you to clean your room. When you love someone, you might ask them to marry you.


  • Used in a sentence: I asked Bill if I could borrow his shovel.  


Ask also means to invite someone to do something or go somewhere.



  • Real-life examples: You can ask your friends over for a party. Your grandparents might ask you to come and visit.


  • Used in a sentence: Jin asked Maria out for a date on Saturday.


Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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