pray

[ prey ]

/ preɪ /

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See synonyms for: pray / praying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship).

to offer (a prayer).

to bring, put, etc., by praying: to pray a soul into heaven.

to make earnest petition to (a person).

to make petition or entreaty for; crave: She prayed his forgiveness.

to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to God or to an object of worship.

to enter into spiritual communion with God or an object of worship through prayer.

verb (used without object)

to make entreaty or supplication, as to a person or for a thing.

Verb Phrases

pray tell. See entry at pray tell.

OTHER WORDS FOR pray

4 importune, entreat, supplicate, beg, beseech, implore.

See synonyms for pray on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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”

OTHER WORDS FROM pray

pray·ing·ly, adverbout·pray, verb (used with object)un·pray·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pray

pray , prayer, prey

Words nearby pray

prawn cracker, prawn-sandwich, praxeology, praxis, Praxiteles, pray, prayer, prayer beads, prayer book, prayer flag, prayerful

How to use pray in a sentence

He said parents of some of his students have emailed him, saying that they are praying for his safety and that their children fear he will contract the virus.
After months of planning, protests and false starts, D.C. students and teachers head to classes for first time in nearly a year|Perry Stein, Lauren Lumpkin, Joe Heim, Laura Meckler|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
I prayed that this late-night scramble in a poorly ventilated hospital hallway wouldn’t become a superspreader event.
I jumped the queue to get an expiring vaccine. Did I do the right thing?|Niall Firth|February 1, 2021|MIT Technology Review
At night, she returns to the home she shares with her elderly mother-in-law, praying the coronavirus isn’t traveling inside her.
Essential workers get lost in the vaccine scrum as states prioritize the elderly|Lena H. Sun, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Akilah Johnson|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
They’re also rated to last roughly 70 million clicks before they start to break down, so it should last for quite some time even if you fully subscribe to the “spray-and-pray” school of first-person shooting games.
Razer’s new gaming mouse pings your computer 8,000 times a second to fight lag|Stan Horaczek|January 29, 2021|Popular-Science

If he and other Christians had been able to pray outside while senators voted inside, he feels certain it would have changed their votes.
Here are some of the people charged since a mob breached the Capitol|Washington Post Staff|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
Or as Azealia Banks would say, “I pray for this Clueless White Girl”.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year|Amy Zimmerman|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That is a lot to pray for, but Pope Francis is praying for all of us.
Does Pope Francis Believe Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?|Jay Parini|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I wake up and I pray, and then I see visions and I explain all those to my mom,” who would give her canvases to re-create them.
Blessed or Cursed? Child Prodigies Reveal All|Justin Jones|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Let us pray for peace, not violence for Ferguson and our country no matter what the jury in their wisdom might decide.
As Michael Brown Grand Jury Winds Down, Is Ferguson on the Brink of War?|Ron Christie|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I just pray that everyone just keep their children safe,” Anderson said.
11 Children Shot in Milwaukee, One in Her Grandpa's Lap|Michael Daly|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"It is good to pray here," she said, in a tone the mildness and sincerity of which made the reproach more cutting.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
What more could one desire of him, I pray, Than just to hop around and stand for K?
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Nigel might pray to a pale Madonna; Isaacson dealt with a definitely blunted woman of the world.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
He attempts to pray and make supplication—yea, even he endeavours to perform the service.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
During this and the following days, old and young proceed from one church to another, to pray for the souls of the departed.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for pray

pray

/ (preɪ) /

verb

(when intr, often foll by for; when tr, usually takes a clause as object) to utter prayers (to God or other object of worship)we prayed to God for the sick child

(when tr, usually takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to make an earnest entreaty (to or for); beg or imploreshe prayed to be allowed to go; leave, I pray you

(tr) rare to accomplish or bring by prayingto pray a soul into the kingdom

interjection

archaic I beg you; pleasepray, leave us alone

Word Origin for pray

C13: from Old French preier, from Latin precārī to implore, from prex an entreaty; related to Old English fricgan, Old High German frāgēn to ask, Old Norse fregna to enquire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pray

OTHER WORDS FOR pray

Origin of pray

OTHER WORDS FROM pray

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pray

Words nearby pray

Words related to pray

How to use pray in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pray

Word Origin for pray