Imploration

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of imploring involves making a heartfelt and urgent plea for something desired
2. A heartfelt request made with fervor represents an intense desire for aid or intervention that is often motivated by desperation
3. An earnest or desperate plea made to request help or a favor urgently

Etymology: "Imploration" is a noun built on the verb "implore," which English took from the same Latin source. The Latin "implorare" combined "in-," meaning "into" or "upon," with "plorare," meaning "to weep" or "to cry out," so the original sense was closer to calling out or wailing toward someone than to a polite request. Over time the word moved from raw lamentation to the earnest, urgent asking it now describes. The noun came into English by way of French "imploration," which itself descends from the Latin "implorationem," the accusative form of "imploratio." The root "plorare" also gave English words such as "deplore," which likewise carries a sense of grief, showing how closely the family of words still reflects that original idea of tearful appeal.

Synonyms: plea, request, entreaty, supplication, appeal

Antonyms: refusal, denial, rejection, dismissal, disregard