as in supplicant
one who asks earnestly for a favor or gift
didn't like being in the position of a suppliant, having to ask her parents to help her pay the rent on her apartment
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as in prayerful
asking humbly
the suppliant thief pleaded for a second chance
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Recent Examples of suppliant
Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Like other Te Deums, the work is both laudatory and suppliant, petitioning the divine for continued mercy.
—Hannah Edgar, chicagotribune.com, 21 Aug. 2021
It was thought that Betelgeuse was bigger than the orbit of Jupiter in our Solar System, but recent studies suggest that the red suppliant star is about a third less than that at about 750 the radius of our Sun.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 June 2021
William pays price for grabbing The reaction of the male to his suppliants varies.
—National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019
Part of the progress, according to Mr. Selee, is a reaction against President Trump’s Mexiphobia, but the underlying influences are long-term and irreversible: Mexico is no longer a feeble suppliant but a potent, necessary partner.
—Felipe Fernández-Armesto, WSJ, 25 June 2018
Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Furious at their alma maters’ embrace of DEI, suppression of free speech, hot-housing antisemitic bigotry, and so much more, college alumni are increasingly organizing and publicly challenging the administrations and suppliant boards of America’s leading universities.
—Jack Fowler, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
And as happens with the testimonies of the suppliants at the Asclepieion, the stelae ferry the feelings and names of these distant others across the ages to us.
—Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Like other Te Deums, the work is both laudatory and suppliant, petitioning the divine for continued mercy.
—Hannah Edgar, chicagotribune.com, 21 Aug. 2021
It was thought that Betelgeuse was bigger than the orbit of Jupiter in our Solar System, but recent studies suggest that the red suppliant star is about a third less than that at about 750 the radius of our Sun.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 June 2021
William pays price for grabbing The reaction of the male to his suppliants varies.
—National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019
Part of the progress, according to Mr. Selee, is a reaction against President Trump’s Mexiphobia, but the underlying influences are long-term and irreversible: Mexico is no longer a feeble suppliant but a potent, necessary partner.
—Felipe Fernández-Armesto, WSJ, 25 June 2018
Adjective
Both are comfortable, however, with a weakened Iran that does their bidding, offers better deals, and becomes a more suppliant instrument of their regional ambitions.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Furious at their alma maters’ embrace of DEI, suppression of free speech, hot-housing antisemitic bigotry, and so much more, college alumni are increasingly organizing and publicly challenging the administrations and suppliant boards of America’s leading universities.
—Jack Fowler, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suppliant
Noun
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What is notable is how Trump uses the authority of his office and how his supplicants—family members, cryptocurrency investors, business partners, U.S. government officials, and foreign governments—behave toward him.—
MICHAEL JOHNSTON,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Aug. 2025
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And when Spotify emerged as the dragon-slaying supplicant of the new world order and came calling, music squeezed several years and every crumb on the plate to close a collective deal— not just for licensing fees, but ownership stakes in Ek’s startup to the tune of 20%.—
Jeff Rabhan,
HollywoodReporter,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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The Sagrada Família was founded as an expiatory church, meaning that it would be financed by prayerful donations from people atoning for their sins.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Korie told Fox News Digital the decision to return to television was prayerful and carefully considered.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Brando, the owner of an atoll in Tahiti, where his family dwelled, had become the beggar of Hollywood, who had to feed on crumbs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Got a lot of mountains to climb, had to leave some beggars behind.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In May, recall petitioners submitted 10,500 valid signatures to qualify the initiative for Tuesday’s ballot.—
Janie Har,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In order to get the PPO, the petitioner must provide proof that the other party might physically hurt, threaten or stalk them.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Quilter told the inquest that the couple had made arrangements before their deaths, the RTE reported, while the Times noted that Tony and Phyllis med with their solicitor, Vincent Coakley, in order to make a will days before their bodies were found.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
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The trust’s beneficiaries—his solicitor Diana Rawstron and his daughter Rose Boyt—were instructed to distribute it according to his private wishes.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The owner then digitally signs the request with the private key to prove to the CA that the requester does, in fact, have control of the private key.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
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After staff informed the requester about the expansive scope, that person did not respond.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suppliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suppliant. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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