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pray tell

American

[prey tel] / ˈpreɪ ˈtɛl /

verb phrase

(used to emphasize a request for information, often to suggest that the answer is either obvious or unknowable).

You say there is no moon, but what, pray tell, rises in the sky every night?
Just what, pray tell, do those people actually do?

Etymology

Origin of pray tell

First recorded in 1840–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

pray tell

What, pray tell, should be done when officials get caught doing shameful things?

From Washington Post ● Nov. 9, 2022

And who, pray tell, is at the bottom of the list?

From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2022

What, pray tell, had roused freedom from its slumber?

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2022

How, pray tell, had they succeeded in eluding my grasp?

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2020

“I am very glad to hear such a good account of her,” said Lady Catherine; “and pray tell her from me, that she cannot expect to excel if she does not practice a good deal.”

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023