pleading 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of pleadingnext
as in prayerful
asking humbly a pleading husband seeking forgiveness once again from his long-suffering wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pleading

2 of 3

noun

ˈplē-diŋ How to pronounce pleading (audio)
as in plea
an earnest request coldhearted tourists pointedly ignoring the pleadings of the city's many street urchins

Synonyms & Similar Words

pleading

3 of 3

verb

present participle of plead
as in arguing
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration can I plead temporary insanity for having made that foolish decision?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pleading
Noun
There was no pathetic pleading with the audience to come closer. — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026 Since then, the case has remained in the pleading stage, where the county has challenged the sufficiency of the claims without answering them, and the child’s attorneys have revised their complaint three times. — Bay City News, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
Tapanes has been pleading for the state to do something to stop the speeding. — Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 His criminal record includes pleading guilty in 2021 to felony possession with intent to sell Schedule II narcotics, which resulted in a prison sentence of two years and nine months, court documents say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pleading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleading
  1. prayerful
  2. plea
  3. arguing
  4. begging
  5. appeal
  6. reasoning
  7. prayer
  8. contending
Adjective
  • Tigua dancers of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo performed a prayerful ceremony traditional before a hunt.
    — Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026
  • That’s the prayerful explanation for the nonsense that spouted this week from the leaders of a football conference that hopes to grow up and be the Big Ten someday.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Definition of prayerful
Noun
  • Even though Vaughn's initial plea was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a mental status exam was ordered, no pretrial tests were done.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • For good measure, Pabst’s social media updates took a tongue-in-cheek approach that may have actually convinced people the posts were more playful than actual pleas for help.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of plea
Verb
  • O’Leary, who owns multimillion-dollar homes in Florida, Massachusetts, and Toronto, has made the point to shop at Walmart on numerous occasions—long arguing that there’s no reason to pay more for everyday essentials when a cheaper option will do.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Nevada promptly sued, arguing the plan is untenable for Las Vegas.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of arguing
Adjective
  • Violators can be punished with fines up to $500 and three months in jail under one anti-begging law and with fines starting at up to $100 and 10 days in jail under a law against soliciting contributions from people in cars.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of begging
Noun
  • His screen appeal combines a mix of swagger and self-deprecating, and at times evokes (a taller) Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Can Kushner’s billions of dollars and unlimited access deliver the kind of magnetic appeal that began with the Showtime Lakers in 1979?
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of appeal
Verb
  • Some aldermen sought to ban them, reasoning that businesses using them should switch to the legalized, and therefore regulated and taxed, VGTs.
    — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Every prompt, retrieval, reasoning step and autonomous agent action consumes tokens that translate directly into cost.
    — Daniel Fallmann, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoning
Noun
  • Its rise also marks the beginning of the Hindu celebration of Pitru Paksha, during which worshippers perform rites to honor ancestors by offering prayers and food to past members of their families.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Until its revival as an everyday, spoken language in the modern state of Israel, it was mostly reserved for prayers and religious writings.
    — Ilan Stavans, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of prayer
Verb
  • Boston Bruins The Bruins have an average at best roster and farm system, and trying to win while rebuilding on the fly is something that usually backfires more often than leading to a contending team.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Kiley turned the criticism around, contending that his willingness to work with both parties was a strength.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of contending

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Cite this Entry

“Pleading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleading. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pleading

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pleading

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