As per the definition of the word, imploring basically means 'asking for something'. But what is the exact tone of this word? Is it closer to "begging", or maybe closer to "demanding"? Personally when I think of "XXXXX did an imploring hand gesture." I always associate the tone with "demanding", but I have no idea whether that is correct or not. What are your thoughts?
I would assume if you are 'imploring' that it's serious business. You implore your angry boss to give you another chance. You implore your fiancé not to join the army and fight in a dangerous war. Imploring seems to imply there wiil be dire consequences if the imploring has no effect. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/implore I don't think you'd implore your mother to buy you a Snickers bar at the checkout counter, or implore Santa for a train set. Pestering and begging are more appropriate words for these requests.
Imploring to me always sounds like the grown up version of asking someone to reconsider. I implore you to give me another chance. I implore you to take a look at my portfolio. I don't really associate it with begging as that's more a stance of - for a child - pestering, or for a homeless person - desperation. Implore doesn't really have a sense that you're desperate - more that you're actually asking for someone's time/effort/energy from a place of strength. They may benefit if they listen.
Oh, it's done all the time in classical literature and painting. The imploring gesture is the outstretched hand, open with the palm up or slightly turned to the inside, as if the implorer is reaching out to the one who has the power to grant his request. Or if you want to go for real pathos, the implorer kneels, clasps her hands or puts them together fingertip to fingertip as in prayer, and extends her arms towards the one in power. But that might be too melodramatic for modern consumption. For once I have to disagree with @peachalulu. I'd say that imploring definitely includes desperation. The one imploring is always in a position of inferiority and weakness compared to the one being appealed to, and there is that note of pleading that goes beyond an appeal to reason. As @jannert says, dire consequences can ensue if the petitioner is denied.
Just chiming in to agree that imploring is on the "begging" rather than "demanding" side of the spectrum, and that it does have an air of desperation.
And I thought Implore was tales of small people with pointed ears + a penchant for mischief. On track, I feel what's being discussed is the word 'urge' — that's asking without demanding nor begging. No?
No, I definitely see begging. I've been going back and forth on it, and sometimes I see it as even more begging than begging. It's like begging with a higher level of urgency. To me. The default definition that Google throws at me includes: "beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something"
Oh, sure I'm with you with implore; the beg/beseech thing. I like it, it's a word that draws a good image of behaviour. I meant that 'urge' has the most neutral tone in this circumstance (if that's what OP's after).
I feel like it would be a more mature version of begging, pleading perhaps? Like, a desperate-but-trying-not-to-show-it-(but-showing-it-anyway) kind of thing. Where you try not to look blatantly desperate, but you let enough show that whoever you're imploring understands your urgency. In short, professionally desperate pleading?
Implore = Genteel begging. It's no coincidence that @Catrin Lewis mentioned the "Imploring Gesture" as being "...done all the time in classical literature and painting." Although I suspect it's probably more commonplace in Renaissance, or even Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, works.
