pray
Americanverb (used with object)
-
prays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prayed,
past participle, past
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praying
present participle
-
to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship).
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to offer (a prayer).
-
to bring, put, etc., by praying.
to pray a soul into heaven.
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to make earnest petition to (a person).
-
to make petition or entreaty for; crave.
She prayed his forgiveness.
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to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to God or to an object of worship.
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to enter into spiritual communion with God or an object of worship through prayer.
verb (used without object)
-
prays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prayed,
past participle, past
-
praying
present participle
verb phrase
verb
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to utter prayers (to God or other object of worship)
we prayed to God for the sick child
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(when tr, usually takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to make an earnest entreaty (to or for); beg or implore
she prayed to be allowed to go
leave, I pray you
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rare (tr) to accomplish or bring by praying
to pray a soul into the kingdom
interjection
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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praysimple
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prayssimple
-
have prayedperfect
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has prayedperfect
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am prayingprogressive
-
are prayingprogressive
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is prayingprogressive
-
have been prayingperfect progressive
-
has been prayingperfect progressive
Past
-
prayedsimple
-
had prayedperfect
-
was prayingprogressive
-
were prayingprogressive
-
had been prayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pray
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English preien, from Old French preier, ultimately derived from Latin precārī “to beg, pray,” derivative of prex (stem prec- ) prayer; akin to Old English fricgan, Dutch vragen, German fragen, Gothic fraihnan “to ask”
Explanation
To pray is to talk to a deity or god. Some people pray by asking for help or guidance. Most religious believers pray in one way or another — some pray out loud, thanking God for the things they have. Others pray silently when they're afraid or worried, or in a group of worshipers at a church or temple. You can also pray in a non-religious way, by begging for something: "I pray you'll really listen to my explanation." Pray comes from the Old French preier, "to pray," with its Latin root word, precari, "ask earnestly, beg, or entreat."
Vocabulary lists containing pray
Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
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Passover Vocabulary
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 8
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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:
"When we hear an air‑raid alert, I pray to God -- and to our air defence, because the life of our city depends on them," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
"Today, the entire world is proud of him. I urge my fellow citizens to pray for Smit's long life and excellent health, and to salute Smit, who has brought glory to India."
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
They want to know whether simply gathering to pray could leave them vulnerable to an accusation of conversion.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
In lieu of warning Europe to evacuate, they pray and make a plan to cover their asses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Grandma closes her eyes to pray, and I’m pretty sure that Dad has been holding his breath since he turned on the TV.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
She sits beside his bed and prays, trying to remain composed.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Now, he prays the dozens of men he was detained with can one day return to their families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
“I don’t have the support of having an outlet for anger, fear and grief,” said Kemper, who journals, prays and keeps a website with updates on her dad.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
"The leader is alive, he always prays for us and he is watching all of us now, and victory is definitely ours," said Nastaran Safaie, a 24-year-old university student.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
I have seen a hunted deer run from the open field and take cover in a shadowed bower, panting among the tangled bushes and brambles that she prays will keep her unseen.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Many Miami-based Cubans think the monumental shift they have prayed for is almost here.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
A shocked Campbell prayed on it, colleagues said, then moved his family of seven children to Washington from Texas in the summer last year after school let out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Similarly, Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye paid his respects and prayed for Samia and her family to have "comfort and strength in this difficult moment".
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
On the winning touchdown, Hinton said, “It was surreal. It was something I prayed for and it meant everything.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Prayer after prayer I prayed, seven Lord’s Prayers and seven Holy Marys, and it seemed that each one of those knots took away just a little bit more of that whirlwind's strength.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
The use of pond water led to some recovery in reservoir levels, now at 23.7% full, but Green said islanders were simply "praying for rain".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
“Our soldiers are praying a lot more than they used to.”
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
“Being pregnant as a Black woman, you’re not just worrying about whether your baby will be okay: You’re praying you will be too,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Many are businesspeople praying for prosperity and dealmaking luck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
I dig three dollars from my backpack and hand them to him, praying he doesn’t notice the slight sheen of sweat on the bills.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
