Efflagitate

/ɪˈflæd͡ʒ.ɪ.teɪt/ verb

Definition

To beg, implore, or earnestly entreat someone with urgency and persistence.

Etymology

From Latin 'efflagitare' (ex- 'out' + flagitare 'to demand urgently'), which originally meant to demand with great intensity. The prefix 'ex-' emphasizes the intensity of the pleading.

Kelly Says

This delightfully obscure word shows up in 17th-century love letters where desperate suitors would 'efflagitate' their beloved for just one dance—it captures the desperation better than modern 'beg' ever could.

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