to put a question to; inquire of: I asked him but he didn't answer.
to request information about: to ask the way.
to try to get by using words; request: to ask advice; to ask a favor.
to solicit from; request of: Could I ask you a favor? Ask her for advice.
to demand; expect: What price are they asking? A little silence is all I ask.
to set a price of: to ask $20 for the hat.
to call for; need; require: This experiment asks patience.
to invite: to ask guests to dinner.
Archaic. to publish (banns).
verb (used without object)
to make inquiry; inquire: to ask about a person.
to request or petition (usually followed by for): to ask for leniency; to ask for food.
noun
a question or inquiry.
a request, especially a demanding one: Is it too big an ask for you to give me a loan?
Idioms for ask
ask for it, to risk or invite trouble, danger, punishment, etc., by persisting in some action or manner: He was asking for it by his abusive remarks.
Origin of ask
First recorded before 900; Middle English asken, axen, Old English āscian, āxian; cognate with Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn (German heischen ), Sanskrit icchati “(he) seeks”
It’s a tough ask — especially when your team goes from regulation-sized to spanning the globe.
What if Your Company Had No Rules? (Bonus Episode)|Maria Konnikova|September 12, 2020|Freakonomics
When you consider the price along with the subscription, that’s a big ask when compared to other smartwatches on the market like the Apple Watch and Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 3.
The new Fitbit knows when you’re stressed—and how to help you chill|Stan Horaczek|August 26, 2020|Popular Science
And I need to ask why their truth makes me so defensive, as if my truth is the only truth.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One is forced to ask, what on earth was Andrew doing hanging out with scantily clad teenagers?
Buckingham Palace Disputes Sex Allegations Against Prince ‘Randy Andy’|Tom Sykes|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“You ask me my motivation,” Marvin says, moving back into his tough guy persona again.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I ask Atefeh and Monir if they see dancing as a form of income in the future, a potential career.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My wife was talking to her on the phone, and I just kinda found the courage to ask her.
Deer Tick's John McCauley on Ten Years in Rock and Roll|James Joiner|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I will ask our brother, Huya, the great war bird, to lead you to the Blackfeet camp.
The War Trail|Elmer Russell Gregor
Ask me to do anything, but don't ask me to go away—to go back to Wrexham.
Robert Orange|John Oliver Hobbes
The monarch was admonished to ask no more, but he disregarded the warning.
The Mysteries of All Nations|James Grant
Twelve dollars a day was not too much to ask for board, room and guide services.
Double Challenge|James Arthur Kjelgaard
Then, O great king, Kapila was pleased with Ansuman, and that saint of a virtuous soul told him to ask for a favour from him.
Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 1|Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
British Dictionary definitions for ask (1 of 2)
ask
/ (ɑːsk) /
verb
(often foll by about)to put a question (to); request an answer (from)she asked ( him ) about God
(tr)to inquire aboutshe asked him the time of the train; she asked the way
(tr)to direct or put (a question)
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive often foll by for) to make a request or demandshe asked ( him ) for information; they asked for a deposit
(tr)to demand or expect (esp in the phrases ask a lot of, ask too much of)
Also: ask out, ask over(tr)to request (a person) politely to come or go to a place; invitehe asked her to the party
(tr)to need; requirethe job asks both time and patience
(tr)archaicto proclaim (marriage banns)
noun
a big askora tough askBritish, Australian and NZinformala task which is difficult to fulfil
See also ask after, ask for
Derived forms of ask
asker, noun
Word Origin for ask
Old English āscian; related to Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn
British Dictionary definitions for ask (2 of 2)
Ask
/ (ɑːsk) /
noun
Norse myththe first man, created by the gods from an ash tree