ASK
WordNet
verb
(1) Make a request or demand for something to somebody
"She asked him for a loan"
(2) Consider obligatory; request and expect
"We require our secretary to be on time"
"Aren't we asking too much of these children?"
"I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons"
(3) Inquire about
"I asked about their special today"
"He had to ask directions several times"
(4) Direct or put; seek an answer to
"Ask a question"
(5) Address a question to and expect an answer from
"Ask your teacher about trigonometry"
"The children asked me about their dead grandmother"
(6) Require or ask for as a price or condition
"He is asking $200 for the table"
"The kidnappers are asking a million dollars in return for the release of their hostage"
(7) Require as useful, just, or proper
"It takes nerve to do what she did"
"Success usually requires hard work"
"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"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
, from . Cognate with German , Danish , Russian .
Verb
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
- Pronouncing ask as /æks/ is a common example of metathesis and a feature of some varieties of English, notably African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
- The action expressed by the verb ask can also be expressed by the noun-verb combination pose a question (confer the parallel in German between fragen and eine Frage stellen).