# asking

Pronunciation: US say "ASK-ing" /ˈæskɪŋ/; UK say "AHSK-ing" /ˈɑːskɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle of ask. — present participle of ask
   - Simple: Present participle of ask. Use this form for something happening now, often after "is" or "was."
   - _He was asking too many questions during the meeting._
   - _They are asking whether the deadline can be extended._

## Noun

2. The act or process of questioning someone or requesting something.
   - Simple: The act of putting a question to someone or making a request.
   - _The constant asking for updates slowed the whole team down._
   - _Everything she wanted seemed to be hers for the asking._
4. The marriage banns, the announcement made in church that two people intend to marry.
   - Simple: The announcement made in church that two people plan to get married.
   - _Nobody rose to object when the couple's askings were called in the village church._
   - _With her askings already published in two parishes, she had little time left to change her mind._

## Adjective

3. That asks; expressing a question or request.
   - Simple: Showing that someone wants an answer or a favor.
   - _Her asking glance made it clear she wanted to leave early._
   - _The asking tone in his voice was hard to ignore._

## Noun

5. A request or petition for something. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A request or appeal for something.
   - _His humble asking for forgiveness moved the whole crowd._
   - _The asking was small, yet no one would grant it._

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3** — This is the present participle of 'ask', from Middle English askinge and Old English āsciende, going back to Proto-West Germanic *aiskōn ("to ask"); it is simply 'ask' plus '-ing'.
**Meanings 2, 4–5** — This comes from Middle English asking and Old English āscung ("asking; question; inquiry"), from Proto-West Germanic *aiskungu; it is 'ask' plus '-ing'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/asking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).