pry

¹ American  

[prahy] / praɪ /

verb (used without object)

pried, prying

1. to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something.

   to pry into the personal affairs of others.

2. to look closely or curiously; peer; peep.

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noun

• pries
  plural

1. an impertinently inquisitive person.

2. an act of prying.

pry ² American  

[prahy] / praɪ /

verb (used with object)

pried, prying

1. to move, raise, or open by leverage.

2. to get, separate, or ferret out with difficulty.

   to pry a secret out of someone;

   We finally pried them away from the TV.

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noun

• pries
  plural

1. a tool, as a crowbar, for raising, moving, or opening something by leverage.

2. the leverage exerted.

pry ¹ British  

/ praɪ /

verb

1. to make an impertinent or uninvited inquiry (about a private matter, topic, etc)

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noun

1. the act of prying

2. a person who pries

pry ² British  

/ praɪ /

verb

1. to force open by levering

2. to extract or obtain with difficulty

   they had to pry the news out of him

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pry¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English prien, “look about, peep”; further origin unknown

Origin of pry²

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from prize ³, taken as a plural noun or 3rd person singular verb

Explanation

To pry is to try and find something out that is none of your business. We all hate people who pry, sticking their nose into our personal affairs, and it is an annoying and disrespectful habit. We are taught as children to ask questions, but sometimes those questions are used to pry, or peek into someone's private business. A nosy person will peek into some else's life the same way one might use a crowbar to pry open a crate (though — alert! — that pry has a different origin). Our word is thought to come from a word related to the Old English verb beprīwan, "to wink," which evolved into the Middle English prie, "to peer in," which gives us today's meaning.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pry pries pried prying

But it was not Ratchford's business to pry.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Arab governments are now weighing whether they might need to become more aggressive in trying to pry open their critical trade routes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

And whoever has access to that information has the extraordinary ability to pry into a person’s private life.

From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026

But whether it’s overpaying in restricted free agency or working out a sign-and-trade deal, pry him away from the Jazz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026

With some work, she was able to pry it up.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Spot gold pries are down 5% at $4,616 a troy ounce while silver is down 7.8% at $78.18 an ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

Concerned, she visits a doctor, and when the specialist pries the welt open, hundreds of small spiders crawl out.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 12, 2024

U.S. oil and gas production, however, is on track to reach record highs in 2023 and 2024 due in part to rising oil pries.

From Reuters ● Sep. 18, 2023

Expository flashbacks would be antithetical to Hansen-Løve’s objectives, but here, with wordless economy, she pries open a window into past stories, past experiences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2022

“Pooperman,” Boo cries pitifully as Lou Ann pries her off my leg.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

In 1947, after reports of strong odors were reported, a huge crowd on the street watched as police and city officials pried their way inside to look for the brothers’ bodies.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

When the packages arrived, I pried open a pack and popped the top mint into my mouth, despite my wife’s admonition, “Are you insane?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

In most cases the “mummy portraits”—as the paintings are called—came to be pried or detached from the full mummy by excavators, archaeologists or thieves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

Gilbert’s book has pried open a feminist door that felt long slammed shut.

From Slate ● May 12, 2025

It was Mack who pried open that crate, Mack who bought me, and Mack who raised me like a human baby.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Outside, the parcel is lined with dozens of palm trees to ensure complete privacy, while a dramatic gated courtyard provides an idyllic place to relax away from prying eyes.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Why Mr. Cabello insisted on keeping prying international eyes away from that building in La Guaira is a question that demands an answer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

"The deportation machine has kind of turned more surgical, so to speak. There's less activity in the cities where there's a lot more prying eyes," Budiandri said.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

The men on the garbage trucks would empty the can early in the morning and no one would be prying round on a day like this, with all the snow and its being Sunday.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• extract
• pull
• wrest