Ask

/ask/

Meaning & Definition

verb

to request information or an answer to a question.

Please ask the teacher if we have homework tonight.

to make a request for someone to do something.

I will ask my friend to help me move this weekend.

to seek an answer, permission, or a favor.

She decided to ask for a raise after her successful project.

to inquire about; to seek information.

He asked about the train schedule to plan his trip.

to demand or require something of someone.

The job asks a lot of dedication from its employees.

Middle English 'asken', from Old English 'ascian'; related to Dutch 'vragen' and German 'fragen'.

ask for it

To do something that is likely to result in trouble or punishment.

ask around

To inquire among various people.

ask after

To inquire about someone's health or well-being.

question

A sentence or phrase used to inquire about something.

request

An act of asking formally or politely for something.

inquire

To seek information by asking.

To beg or plead for something.

He had to ask hard for his job back.

To offer oneself as a source of aid.

Don't be shy to ask; we're all friends here.