Entreat, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Entreated; p. pr. & vb. n. Entreating.]
Etymology: [OE. entreten to treat, request, OF. entraiter to treat of; pref. en- (L. in) + traitier to treat. See Treat.]
1. To treat, or conduct toward; to deal with; to use. [Obs.] Fairly let her be entreated. Shak. I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well. Jer. xv. 11.
2. To treat with, or in respect to, a thing desired; hence, to ask earnestly; to beseech; to petition or pray with urgency; to supplicate; to importune. "Entreat my wife to come." "I do entreat your patience." Shak. I must entreat of you some of that money. Shak. Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door. Poe. Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife. Gen. xxv. 21.
3. To beseech or supplicate successfully; to prevail upon by prayer or solicitation; to persuade. It were a fruitless attempt to appease a power whom no prayers could entreat. Rogers.
4. To invite; to entertain. [Obs.] "Pleasures to entreat." Spenser.
1 more senses
Syn. -- To beseech; beg; solicit; crave; implore; supplicate. See Beseech.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Entreat, v. i.
1. To treat or discourse; hence, to enter into negotiations, as for a treaty. [Obs.] Of which I shall have further occasion to entreat. Hakewill. Alexander . . . was first that entreated of true peace with them. 1 Mac. x. 47.
2. To make an earnest petition or request. The Janizaries entreated for them as valiant men. Knolles.
Entreat, n.
Entreaty. [Obs.] Ford.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for entreat; 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