Synonym Chooser

How is the word adjure distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of adjure are beg, beseech, entreat, implore, importune, and supplicate. While all these words mean "to ask urgently," adjure implies advising as well as pleading.

we were adjured to tell the truth

When can beg be used instead of adjure?

The synonyms beg and adjure are sometimes interchangeable, but beg suggests earnestness or insistence in the asking.

they begged for help

How are the words beseech and implore related as synonyms of adjure?

Both beseech and implore imply a deeply felt anxiety.

I beseech you to have mercy
implored her not to leave him

In what contexts can entreat take the place of adjure?

While in some cases nearly identical to adjure, entreat implies an effort to persuade or to overcome resistance.

entreated me to join them

Where would importune be a reasonable alternative to adjure?

The words importune and adjure can be used in similar contexts, but importune suggests an annoying persistence in trying to break down resistance to a request.

importuning viewers for contributions

When would supplicate be a good substitute for adjure?

While the synonyms supplicate and adjure are close in meaning, supplicate suggests a posture of humility.

with bowed heads they supplicated their Lord

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 adjure Despite the song’s topic, the music is joyful, light, as Carlito adjures Maya in Lingala, the language of Kinshasa and its environs: Listen to a voice calling you in the middle of the night. Nicolas Niarchos, The New Yorker, 26 June 2019 And Congress is adjured by the Fourteenth Amendment to enforce it against the states. WSJ, 25 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjure
Verb
  • The Pope, 88, has been advised to rest following his 38-day hospital stay.
    Simon Perry, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The affected vehicles include: 2020 to 2021 S90 2020 to 2022 S60 2020 to 2022 V60 2020 to 2022 XC60 2020 to 2022 XC90 2022 V90 Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy has been completed.
    James Powel, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The order also instructed the military to refrain from teaching that America’s founding documents are racist or sexist and about gender ideology.
    Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025
  • But the biggest fights lie ahead: The blueprint instructs the House and Senate to craft separate proposals that will eventually need to be reconciled.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Ridley tries to warn her dad that what’s going on isn’t right, and Elliot finally realizes it late in the game, when the entitled and very bro-y Shepard Leopold (Will Poulter) uses Ridley and the dead foal as bait to capture the other unicorns.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2025
  • For this reason, Sweet warns against getting too attached to labels like twin flame or even soulmate.
    Christina Pérez, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Marvel Studios‘ clever live five-hour-plus announcement of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday was their biggest livestream, bigger than any premiere red carpet, pulling in 275M digital views we’re told and 3.1M social mentions.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The federation sources also deny that any manipulation took place — telling The Athletic that the documents published by El Mundo are just some of many different drafts compiled during the process of compiling the World Cup bid book.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • There are better ways to teach puppies how to behave, and one of them is rewarding good behavior rather than instilling fear.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Sales teaches you to communicate with impact and listen with intention.
    Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • These are just a few examples of federal agencies that have been hit by mass layoffs ordered by President Donald Trump and his new administration.
    Hayat Norimine, Idaho Statesman, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The commission concluded the project can go forward, but ordered a series of conditions.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Business leaders should assume that any internal discussions could become public and ensure all crisis response conversations reflect ethical decision-making, Williams of Columbia University and George Washington University counseled.
    Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Once in custody, the man with HIV invoked his right to counsel.
    Chris Spargo, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Sheriff’s Department asked anyone with information about the incident to call the homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Whether for speaking up in a meeting, asking a question or submitting work that may not be perfect, women are far more likely to apologize for things that don’t warrant an apology.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adjure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjure. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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