Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb ask

7 senses of ask

Sense 1
ask, inquire, enquire -- (inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times")
       => communicate, intercommunicate -- (transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist")

Sense 2
ask -- (make a request or demand for something to somebody; "She asked him for a loan")
       => request, bespeak, call for, quest -- (express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service")
          Phrasal Verb-> ask in#1; ask over#1; ask round#1; ask out#1

Sense 3
ask -- (direct or put; seek an answer to; "ask a question")
       => give voice, formulate, word, phrase, articulate -- (put into words or an expression; "He formulated his concerns to the board of trustees")

Sense 4
ask, require, expect -- (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")
       => demand -- (request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager")

Sense 5
ask -- (address a question to and expect an answer from; "Ask your teacher about trigonometry"; "The children asked me about their dead grandmother")
       => address, turn to -- (speak to; "He addressed the crowd outside the window")

Sense 6
necessitate, ask, postulate, need, require, take, involve, call for, demand -- (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")

Sense 7
ask -- (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")
       => demand -- (request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager")