imploringly
Meaning
In a way that shows you are begging someone to do something
Structure
Usage
She looked at him imploringly, hoping he would change his mind.
"Please don't go," he said imploringly.
The dog gazed imploringly at the dinner table, waiting for a scrap.
Etymology
The word 'imploringly' has its origins in the Latin verb 'implorare', which was formed from the intensive prefix 'in-' and 'plorare', meaning 'to weep or cry out'. The literal sense was 'to invoke with tears', or to call upon someone earnestly while lamenting. This entered Middle English via Old French 'emplorer', carrying the core meaning of begging or entreating with great urgency. The modern adverb 'imploringly' retains this sense of earnest, often desperate supplication, describing a manner of speaking or looking that pleads as if one were crying out for help.
Analysis
- im: Latin prefix, a form of 'in-' meaning 'in, into, on'. Here it intensifies the action. - plor: Latin root, from 'plorare', meaning 'to weep, cry out, lament'. - ingly: English suffix, combining the present participle suffix '-ing' with the adverbial suffix '-ly', used to form adverbs from verbs.