Pronunciations (8)
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/ɑːsk/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/ask/
Pronunciation notes
- Northern-England
- Scotland
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/ɑːks/
Pronunciation notes
- Multicultural-London-English
- also
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/æsk/
Pronunciation notes
- Canada
- General-American
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[ɛəsk]
Pronunciation notes
- New-York-City
- Philadelphia
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/æks/
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/ˈas
Pronunciation notes
- Hong-Kong
- Singapore
-
ˈɛs/
Pronunciation notes
- Hong-Kong
- Singapore
Verb
To request or petition. To request (information, or an answer to a question).
Usage- Intransitive
- Transitive
- Examples
-
May I ask your name?
I asked her age.
I didn't know the answer so I asked.
More examples (1)
Everyone always asks what my advice is, and my advice is don’t overintellectualize your art.
To request or petition. To request or enquire of (a person).
Usage- Ditransitive
- Transitive
- Examples
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I asked her (for) her age.
I’m going to ask this lady (for) directions.
More examples (2)
If you want to know, ask her.
Ask him that he tell her —No need to, she'll already know by know.
To request or petition. To request (an item or service) (see also ask for).
Usage- Transitive
- usually
- with 'for' or intransitive
- Examples
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Ask for help if you need it.
to ask for a second helping at dinner
to ask for help with homework
More examples (4)
to ask a favour
If you want help, you only have to ask.
Ask, and it shall be given you.
Services during Yom Kippur are held continuously through the day and include readings from the Torah and the reciting of prayers expressing regret or asking for forgiveness.
To request or petition. To request (someone to do something).
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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I asked her to wait.
Emma asked Jim to close his eyes.
To request or petition. To request permission (to do something).
- Examples
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She asked to see the doctor.
Did you ask to use the car?
To put forward (a question) to be answered.
- Examples
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to ask a question
to ask a riddle
More examples (1)
He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity.
- Examples
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What price are you asking for the house?
It’s asking a lot of this old car to make it all the way up to Scotland.
More examples (1)
But in any Exigence of State, like that they are now pressed with, it certainly asks a much longer time to conduct any Design, for the Good of the Common-wealth, to its Maturity and Perfection.
To invite.
- Examples
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We asked our neighbours to dinner.
Don’t ask them to the wedding.
To indirectly encourage or make more likely (an undesirable outcome).
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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Walking around with such an expensive watch is asking to be mugged.
To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
To take (a person's situation) as an example.
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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Even when the damage isn't that clear cut, the intangible burdens of a bad image can add up. Just ask Dow Chemical.
Noun
An act or instance of asking.
Usage- Informal
- Examples
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More examples (1)
To ask for a gift is a privilege, a wonderful expression of commitment to and ownership of the organization. Getting a yes to an ask can be a rush, but asking for the gift can and should be just as rewarding.
That really does not seem much of an ask.
Something asked or asked for.
Usage- Informal
- Synonyms
- Examples
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I know this is a big ask, but …
More examples (1)
Communication researchers call this the foot-in-the-door syndrome. Essentially it's based on the observation that people who respond positively to a small “ask” are more likely to respond to a bigger “ask” later on.
An asking price.
Usage- Informal
- Examples
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More examples (1)
The buy prices are a bit higher than the sell prices; the difference between the buy/sell is called bid/ask spread. If you are selling a stock, you’ll get the bid price; if you are buying a stock, you’ll get the ask price.
A message sent to a blog on social networking platform Tumblr, which can be publicly posted and replied to by the recipient.
Usage- Internet
- Informal
- Examples
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More examples (1)
Answering 'asks' like this is one common way that Tumblr bloggers interact with their followers, so it is in the act of publicly answering these asks that I examine community building practices.
The following example from Black Mental Health illustrates an ask from an anonymous follower seeking social support: […]
Once the number of unanswered Asks in the inbox was over eight thousand, despite us deleting everything accumulated in the inbox once a year.
Noun
An eft; newt.
Usage- Scotland
- also
- Informal
- Examples
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He looked at the beast. It was not an eel. It was very like an ask.
A lizard.
Usage- Informal
- Examples
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More examples (1)
We hear of Adder dens, but detailed accounts of the discovery of one are very rare. Service (1902) records that a peatman, when levelling on an estate by the Solway, found in a hole in the ground, some 8 inches below the surface, 40 adders, 10 toads and a large number of asks (lizards).
Verb
make a request or demand for something to somebody
- Examples
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She asked him for a loan
direct or put; seek an answer to
- Broader terms
- Examples
-
ask a question
consider obligatory; request and expect
- Broader terms
- Examples
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We require our secretary to be on time
Aren't we asking too much of these children?
More examples (1)
I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons
address a question to and expect an answer from
- Broader terms
- Examples
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Ask your teacher about trigonometry
The children asked me about their dead grandmother
More examples (2)
I inquired about their special today
He had to ask directions several times
require as useful, just, or proper
- Examples
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It takes nerve to do what she did
success usually requires hard work
More examples (4)
This job asks a lot of patience and skill
This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice
This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert
This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent
make a date
- Synonyms
- Examples
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has he asked you out yet?
he asked me to a dance
require or ask for as a price or condition
- Broader terms
- Examples
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He is asking $200 for the table
The kidnappers are asking a million dollars in return for the release of their hostage