VocabauraVOCABAURA

ask

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To say something to get an answer, information or help.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ask
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

æsk

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitiveintransitive

    To request (information, or an answer to a question).

  2. transitive usually with 'for' or intransitive

    To request (an item or service); see also ask for.

  3. transitive or ditransitive

    To request or enquire of (a person).

  4. To request permission (to do something).

  5. Make a request or demand for something to somebody

    “She asked him for a loan.”

  6. Direct or put; seek an answer to

noun

  1. An act or instance of asking.

  2. An asking price.

  3. Something asked or asked for.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Very Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To request (information, or an answer to a question).

Used this way, ask is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • take , a specialist term, precise but narrower

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use ask

  • “She asked him for a loan.”verb
  • “He is asking $200 for the table.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

ask questions

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • inquire

    Address a question to and expect an answer from.

  • demand

    To request forcefully.

  • pose

    To interrogate; to question.

  • require

    To ask (someone) for something.

  • call for

    To request, demand.

Usage

EverydayNeutral

Ask *someone* something, or ask *for* something. No preposition before the person.

Common: “ask her for help”

Less natural: “ask to her for help”

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

verb

Sense: to request (information

requireArchaic

noun

Sense: act or instance of asking

takeTechnical

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.