Irregular verb
The verb to plead
plead → pleaded → pleaded
B2Meaning: to answer a charge in court; to ask strongly · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they plead·he/she/it pleads - Past Simple:
pleadedorpled(US, informal) - Past participle:
pleadedorpled - -ing form:
pleading
Conjugation of the verb to plead
Present Simple
| I | plead |
| You | plead |
| He / She / It | pleads |
| We | plead |
| You (pl.) | plead |
| They | plead |
Past Simple
| I | pleaded |
| You | pleaded |
| He / She / It | pleaded |
| We | pleaded |
| You (pl.) | pleaded |
| They | pleaded |
All the forms of the verb to plead
Present Simple
Full pageplead / pleads
“He pleads with the judge.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are pleading
“I am pleading with the judge right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagepleaded
“He pleaded guilty.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were pleading
“I was pleading with the judge when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has pleaded
“I have already pleaded with the judge.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad pleaded
“She had already pleaded with the judge when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill plead
“I will plead with the judge tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to plead
“I'm going to plead with the judge this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould plead
“I would plead with the judge if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to plead
1. Pleading in court
Plead guilty means to say in court that you did the crime.
- He pleaded guilty.
2. Asking very strongly
Plead with someone means to ask them very strongly.
- She pleaded with him.
A common mistake
1. Plead guilty / not guilty
These are fixed legal expressions. Plead guilty = say that you did it. Plead not guilty = say that you did not do it. Don't add as or to be: He pleaded guilty, not He pleaded as guilty.
What's next?
You can conjugate to plead. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of plead?+
The Past Simple is pleaded (regular, standard everywhere) or pled (informal American English, mostly in law). He pleaded guilty. / He pled guilty. Both are correct in the US, but British English and international news prefer pleaded.
What does plead guilty mean?+
Plead guilty means to say in court that you did the crime. Plead not guilty means to say you did not do it. In some countries, a person who pleads guilty can get a shorter punishment: this deal is called a plea bargain.
What does plead the Fifth mean?+
Plead the Fifth is American. It means to use the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, which gives you the right not to say things that could show you are guilty. You hear it a lot in American legal TV series. People also use it as a joke: it means I don't want to answer!
Is it plead with or plead for?+
Plead with + the person you ask: I pleaded with my mum. Plead for + the thing you want: I pleaded for an ice cream. Together: I pleaded with my mum for an ice cream.
What is the difference between plead and beg?+
Both mean to ask for something very strongly. Plead is more formal, and it is also a legal word: He pleaded his case. Beg is more emotional and more common in speech: I beg you, please help me! Beg also means to ask people for money in the street.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/plead
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.