To plead means to ask for something earnestly or desperately, often when you really need help or want something badly. When you plead with your parents to let you stay up late, you make your case with real emotion and urgency in your voice, showing how much it matters to you.

In a courtroom, pleading has a specific legal meaning. When someone is accused of a crime, they must plead guilty (admitting they did it) or plead not guilty (saying they didn't do it or will fight the accusation). A defendant might also plead no contest, which means they won't fight the charge but aren't admitting guilt either.

The word carries a sense of vulnerability or need. A student might plead for extra time on an assignment when facing a genuine emergency. A character in a story might plead for mercy from a villain. When you plead, you're appealing to someone's compassion, sense of fairness, or authority.

The adjective form is pleading: “She looked at him with pleading eyes.” This describes that hopeful, earnest expression people get when they really want something and are counting on someone else's goodwill.