Definition of ask - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
questionput forward a question to be answered
- He asked if anyone knew the answer.
2.
seeking informationrequest information from someone
- I will ask the teacher about the assignment.?
3.
communicationrequest or petition for something
- They asked for more time to complete the project.
4.
invitationRare invite someone to an event or placeRare
- She asked him to the party.
5.
necessityRare require or demand as a necessityRare
- This job asks a lot of patience.
Noun
1.
requestact of requesting something
- Her ask was for more time to complete the project.
2.
commercethe price being requested for something
- The ask for the painting was too high.
3.
- She received an ask on her blog.
4.
reptileDated UK lizard or newt in dialectal useDated UK
- He found an ask by the pond.
Images of ask
lizard or newt in dialectal use
Expressions with ask
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
request something verbally or in writing
She decided to ask for a raise at work..
enquire about someone's health or progress
She asked after his mother at the meeting.
make inquiries within a group of people
If you're unsure, just ask around at work for advice..
invite someone to enter a place
She decided to ask in her neighbors for coffee.
invite someone to go on a date
He decided to ask me out for dinner.
invite someone to join a social event
She asked him out to the party.
invite someone to one's home
We decided to ask over some friends for dinner.
ask for something that cannot be done or achieved
Don't ask the impossible of your team.
encourage someone to ask questions freely
If you have any doubts, just ask away.
cause trouble or problems for yourself by your actions
If you act like that, you ask for it.
inquire in a group for information or opinions
She decided to ask round at work to get everyone's views on the project..
used to avoid explaining something strange or embarrassing
Why is your shirt inside out? Don't ask.
I don't know the answer
Don't ask me, I have no idea.
in my opinion
If you ask me, the movie was too long.
encourage trying to ask since no harm comes from it
It doesn't hurt to ask if they have any discounts available!
to take quick action without checking details first
He tends to shoot first and ask questions later in meetings.
expresses satisfaction with a situation
The weather is perfect and the food is great, what more can you ask?
act decisively without gathering all information
In negotiations, he tends to shoot first, ask questions later.
demand something impossible or unreasonable
She tends to ask for the moon when negotiating her salary.
act in a way likely to cause problems
If you go there alone, you ask for trouble.
avoid asking questions to keep things private
Ask me no questions about the surprise party.
ask directly without hesitation or indirectness
She asked point-blank if he was lying.
significant or challenging demand
Raising a million dollars in a month is a big ask.
act quickly without thinking about consequences
He tends to shoot first, ask later in business deals.
Origin of ask
Old English, ascian (to seek)
Terms with ask included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
grammar
used in questions to ask if there is some
question
used in questions to ask if a person exists
question
ask about the degree or extent of something
interrogative
used to ask about a thing or event
health check
ask if someone feels well or is not hurt
customer service
ask a customer if they need assistance
question sleep
ask if someone had good or restful sleep last night
parental inquiry
ask if someone is a parent of children
preference question
used to ask if a person enjoys something
language inquiry
ask if someone can communicate in English
greeting
ask about someone's well-being or feelings
greeting well-being
ask about someone's well-being or current state
question height
ask about a person's height in units like feet or centimeters
basic question
used to ask whether something is true about a thing
request
ask someone to kiss you
request
ask for help politely
polite request
ask someone to reduce their speaking speed
directions
politely ask someone to make a left turn
directions
politely ask someone to change direction to the right
silence request
used to ask someone to be quiet
inquiry
ask about current actions or activities
questions
ask the name of a woman
inquiry
ask the name of a man
introduction
ask the name of a person
Examples of ask in a sentence
They asked about the new project details. She will ask her friend for directions. He decided to ask the manager for a raise. She asked if she could borrow the book. He asked the teacher for clarification on the topic. He asked her to join him for dinner.
They asked their friends to the wedding. The project asks a significant amount of resources. Parenting asks endless patience and understanding. The ask was too demanding for the team. His ask for a raise was denied. The ask for the vintage car was negotiable. Investors were surprised by the high ask in the auction. He sent an ask to his favorite blogger. An anonymous ask appeared in her inbox. The children were fascinated by the ask in the terrarium. An ask scurried across the garden path.
View all translations of ask
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:demander, demande, ...
- German:fragen, Anfrage, ...
- Italian:chiedere, richiesta, ...
- Spanish:preguntar, solicitud, ...
- Portuguese:perguntar, pedido, ...
- Chinese:问, 要价, ...
- Japanese:尋ねる, 要求, ...
- Arabic:سَأَلَ, طلب, ...
- Hebrew:לִשְׁאוֹל, בַּקָּשָׁה, ...
- Russian:спросить, просьба, ...
- Ukrainian:запитати, прохання, ...
- Hindi:पूछना, अनुरोध, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the