suppliant

beseeching, imploring

adjective soo-plee-AHN Rare

Origin: Latin supplicans, present participle of supplicare (to beg humbly)

Usage Note

Suppliant describes a look, voice, or gesture that begs earnestly for something. As a noun, un suppliant / une suppliante means a supplicant or petitioner. The related verb is supplier (to beseech), which is stronger than demander and implies desperation or humility.

Examples

"Il la regarda d'un air suppliant."

Natural Translation

He looked at her with a beseeching expression.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Ordering Food in French: Restaurant Phrases That Work

Order food in French with confidence: greet first, say je voudrais not je veux, ask for a carafe d'eau, answer quelle cuisson, and request the bill yourself.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

How to Pronounce the French R (Step by Step)

The French R is a back-of-the-throat sound, not a rolled R. Learn the exact tongue position and a step-by-step drill to build it from sounds you already make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 70, 80, 90 Made Simple

French numbers 70, 80, 90 are soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix. Learn three build formulas to make any number 70-99 on the fly.

June 3, 2026 5 min read