Beseech, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besought; p. pr. & vb. n. Beseeching.]
Etymology: [OE. bisechen, biseken (akin to G. besuchen to visit); pref. be- + sechen, seken, to seek. See Seek.]
1. To ask or entreat with urgency; to supplicate; to implore. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts. Shak. But Eve . . . besought his peace. Milton.
Syn. -- To beg; to crave. -- To Beseech, Entreat, Solicit, Implore, Supplicate. These words agree in marking that sense of want which leads men to beg some favor. To solicit is to make a request, with some degree of earnestness and repetition, of one whom we address as a superior. To entreat implies greater urgency, usually enforced by adducing reasons or arguments. To beseech is still stronger, and belongs rather to the language of poetry and imagination. To implore denotes increased fervor of entreaty, as addressed either to equals or superiors. To supplicate expresses the extreme of entreaty, and usually implies a state of deep humiliation. Thus, a captive supplicates a conqueror to spare his life. Men solicit by virtue of their interest with another; they entreat in the use of reasoning and strong representations; they beseech with importunate earnestness; they implore from a sense of overwhelming distress; they supplicate with a feeling of the most absolute inferiority and dependence.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Beseech, n.
Solicitation; supplication. [Obs. or Poetic] Shak.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for beseech; he lists it under ask, plead, pray.
Where he writes about it:
Entreat implies a special earnestness of asking, and beseech, a still added and more humble intensity; beseech was formerly often used as a polite intensive for beg or pray; as, I beseech you to tell me. — from ask
Beseech, entreat, and implore imply impassioned earnestness, with direct and tender appeal to personal considerations. — from plead
Beseech and entreat express great earnestness of petition; implore and supplicate denote the utmost fervency and intensity, supplicate implying also humility. — from pray