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: interrogate, question
   Antonyms: answer

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: appeal, sue

4. to solicit from; request of.

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

   Synonyms: entreat, beg, beseech

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: answer

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

   to ask for leniency; to ask for food.

   Synonyms: appeal, sue

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

/ ɑːsk /

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)

noun

1. informal,  a task which is difficult to fulfil

Ask

²

/ ɑːsk /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• asker noun
• unasking adjective
• unaskingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ask¹

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

Origin of ask²

< Old Norse Askr; ash ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of ask¹

Old English āscian; related to Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn

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.

More idioms and phrases containing ask

• don't ask
• for the asking

Synonym Study

See inquire.

Example Sentences

Thanks to this study and the predecessors it aggregates, we can say with some certainty that if you ask large groups of people what they eat, the people who say that they eat more broccoli each week are less likely to get colon cancer as time goes on.

From Slate

The authors of this systematic review did try to account for some of these issues, but a fundamental problem with large nutrition studies that simply ask people what they eat is that it’s really hard to eliminate the problems entirely.

From Slate

Observational research in this context means that scientists ask people what they eat, and then look at whether the foods they consume are linked to their long-term risk of cancer.

From Slate

“It’s usually cringe to wear a band’s shirt to their concert, but this gets a pass because people were head to toe in gear from their bucket hats to their socks. I see people walking down the street here with Oasis gear, and you stop each other to ask ‘Are you going to the show?’”

From Los Angeles Times

Before his retirement, Oliphant was producing around three cartoons a week, a magic number that would likely divide a room of people if you were to ask whether they thought that was a lot of work.

From Salon

Related Words

• appeal 
• beg 
• call for 
• charge 
• claim 
• demand 
• order 
• petition 
• plead 
• request 
• seek 
• sue 
• urge 

When To Use

What is a basic definition of ask?

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 for.”

• 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.