ask
/ɑːsk/ verbDefinition
QUESTION [I, T] › to say something to someone as a question which you want them to answer: [+ two objects] Can I ask you a few questions? I asked him about his hobbies. [+ question word] I asked why the plane was so late.
WANT SOMETHING [I, T] › to say something to someone because you want them to give you something: He's asked for a bike for his birthday.
REQUEST [I, T] › to say something to someone because you want them to do something: [+ to do sth] They've asked me to look after their dog while they're away.
INVITE [T] › to invite someone to do something: She asked him out to lunch the next day.
WANT PERMISSION [I, T] › to say something to someone because you want to know if you can do something: Bruce asked if he could stay with us for a few days. [+ to do sth] She asked to leave early.
PRICE [T] › to want a particular amount of money for something which you sell: How much are you asking for it?
ask yourself sth › to think about something carefully: You've got to ask yourself whether it's what you really want.
ask for it/trouble informal › to behave in a way that is likely to make something unpleasant happen to you or to cause you problems: His wife left him, but it seems to me he was asking for it. Drinking and driving is asking for trouble.
don't ask me informal › used to tell someone that you do not know the answer to a question and that you are surprised they have asked you: Don't ask me why you left your last job!
you may well ask › said to someone who has asked you a question that would be difficult or interesting to answer
(Definition of ask verb from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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