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ask

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈɑːsk/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/æsk, ɑsk/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ask, äsk)

ask /æsk, ɑsk/USA pronunciation v.

to put a question (to);
inquire (of): [no object]I asked but I never got an answer.[~ + object]I asked her but she didn't answer.[~ + object + clause]I asked him if they were going home.
to request information about: [~ + object]He was ashamed to ask the question.[~ + after + object]He asked after you.
to put into words so as to gain information, attention, etc.;
utter:[~ + object]You have to ask the right questions.
to request (of): [~ + for + object]I asked for a little more time.[~ + object]I have to ask a favor of you.[~ + object + object]Could I ask you a favor?[~ + to + verb]I asked to leave early.[~ + object + to + verb]I asked her to leave early, but she wanted to stay.
[~ + object] (of a price)
- to demand;
  expect: What price are they asking?
- to set a price of: to ask $40 for the hat.
to invite:[~ + object + to + object]to ask guests to dinner.
to request to speak to (someone):[~ + for + object]Your sister called and asked for you.

Idioms

Idioms ask for it or ask for trouble, to invite problems by continuing with risky or annoying behavior:He's really asking for it, coming in late.

ask (ask, äsk),USA pronunciation v.t.

to put a question to;
inquire of:I asked him but he didn't answer.
to request information about:to ask the way.
to try to get by using words;
request:to ask advice; to ask a favor.
to solicit from;
request of:Could I ask you a favor? Ask her for advice.
to demand;
expect:What price are they asking? A little silence is all I ask.
to set a price of:to ask $20 for the hat.
to call for;
need;
require:This experiment asks patience.
to invite:to ask guests to dinner.
[Archaic.]to publish (banns).

v.i.

to make inquiry;
inquire:to ask about a person.
to request or petition (usually fol. by for):to ask for leniency; to ask for food.
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.

bef. 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

ask′er, n.

3, 11.

10.

inquire.

10.

Ask (äsk),USA pronunciation n. [Scand. Myth.]

Mythologythe first man, made by the gods from an ash tree.

Cf. Embla.

Old Norse Askr; see ash²

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ask /ɑːsk/ vb

(often followed by about) to put a question (to); request an answer (from): she asked (him) about God
(transitive) to inquire about: she asked him the time of the train, she asked the way
(transitive) to direct or put (a question)
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) often followed by for: to make a request or demand: she asked (him) for information, they asked for a deposit
(transitive) to demand or expect (esp in the phrases ask a lot of, ask too much of)
Also: ask out, ask over (transitive) to request (a person) politely to come or go to a place; invite: he asked her to the party

a big ask, a tough ask ⇒ Brit Austral NZ informal a task which is difficult to fulfil

Etymology: Old English āscian; related to Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōnˈasker n

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Ask /ɑːsk/ n

the first human, created by the gods from an ash tree

'ask' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

accost - appeal - arrogate - ash - ask after - ask for - beg - beg off - beseech - bespeak - bite - call - chugger - consult - corvée - derogate - desire - entreat - fellow - good - help - Herodias - implore - inquire - interrogate - invite - manticore - outright - perquisite - pose - postulant - postulate - pray - prerogative - prorogue - quarter - query - questionnaire - request - rogation - saddle - sentence - subrogate - supplicate - tap - the - them - then - account - advertise

In Lists: Top 2000 English words, Reporting verbs in English, Opposite verbs, more...

Synonyms: put a question to, inquire of, enquire of, ask sb a question, question, more...

Collocations: ask [a question, questions, the right questions], ask [directions, nothing], ask him [a question, for directions], more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "ask" in the title:

, didn’t even dare ask,
... other than_____ (ask) for something
...ask them for reasons for that?
...feel encouraged to ask...
...he <came><had come> to Tom's house and <did ask><had asked>...
''I frequently ask you a favor''
''If you don't ask, you don't get'' in American English
'ask' in this pattern:verb+(direct object)+prep+(indirect object)
'Did you ask when he will come home for dinner?’ [Past tense and future tense]
'If you ask me...'
'Say' vs 'ask' vs 'tell'
“are you getting it?” to ask if someone understands sth
“ask sb to do” or “ask that sb do?”
“Can I ask where you are from?”
“What is the problem with that,” you may ask. [punctuation?]
(ask) not that I hated him any less for it
(The) students ask(ed) when they should start
[ask location] two floors/levels above/upstairs/up
[don’t] ask?
[Of each particular thing], ask: What is it in itself?
[Should] you see Monica, ask her to call me.
42nd President of USA - how to ask a question with an ordinal answer.
A ask B to be + past participle
A hard question to ask someone
A lot to ask
a lot to ask a child / to ask of a child
"A lot to ask" in formal letter
a lot to ask/so much to ask
A natural/soft version of "Why do you ask that"
A person ask him-/herself
more...

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⇱ ask - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

ask