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I need a verb that describes asking someone to stop helping you, even though you know they mean well, because it's not helpful. So you ask them in a way that is almost pleading. It's stronger than just asking, but it's not quite pleading.

I'm doing an analysis of a play, and one aspect of this analysis is that I have to categorize, line by line, what each character is trying to do in one action verb. It is proving to be harder than I thought.

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    Would refusing work?
    – alphabet
    Commented Oct 19, 2023 at 3:25
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    It would obviously help if you gave us the actual line (plus some surrounding context).
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Oct 19, 2023 at 11:10
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    Are you looking for a word that means something in between asking and pleading (regardless of what is being asked for), or a word that specifically means refusing help?
    – Stuart F
    Commented Oct 19, 2023 at 14:29
  • Broadly no, there is no such term. 'Implore' might work for the tone, but it has nothing to do with the idea of asking someone to stop helping you… in whatever circumstances. Can you consider the tone alone, or is the idea of asking someone to stop helping crucial?
    – Robbie Goodwin
    Commented Oct 28, 2023 at 21:40

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https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/implore

implore verb UK /ɪmˈplɔːr/ US /ɪmˈplɔːr/ Add to word list [ T + to infinitive ] to ask someone to do or not do something in a very sincere, emotional, and determined way: implore someone to do something. She implored her parents not to send her away to school....

[ T ] literary to ask for something in a sincere and emotional way: She clasped her hands, and glancing upward, seemed to implore divine assistance.

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  • The question says that they have to summarize all the intent of a line of dialogue in a single word. "implore" means that they're asking for something, but doesn't include what they're asking for, so I don't think it will help in this context.
    – Barmar
    Commented Oct 19, 2023 at 15:48

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