pray
- 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.
- to make entreaty or supplication, as to a person or for a thing.
Origin of pray
Synonyms
Related Words
reciteaskbeseechurgesueinvokerequestsayimportuneentreatimplorecravesolicitsupplicateappealbraceadjurepetitioninvocateExamples from the Web for prays
Contemporary Examples
He prays for a miracle and gets it in the form of a snow day, giving him an extra 24 hours to study.
A shot of her lying in bed next to Amber face-to-face as she prays to God to guide them to improve themselves is heartbreaking.
In the face of his enemies, he prays that God might forgive them.
“I sincerely hope this woman is flattened by a lorry,” prays another.
In New York, Bill de Blasio demands higher taxes and more spending, but prays for safe streets.
Historical Examples
In Sonnet 136 he prays her to allow him to be one of her lovers.
The Man ShakespeareFrank Harris
Israel prays for blessing, that God may be known among all nations.
The Ministry of IntercessionAndrew Murray
He prays not for himself, nor cares for personal deliverance.
Oswald LangdonCarson Jay Lee
Even now he prays thrice daily before her ihai on the shrine.
The Dragon PainterMary McNeil Fenollosa
Ask the man who prays in yonder mosque, and he will tell you that Jabaster's wrong.'
AlroyBenjamin Disraeli
pray
- (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
- archaic I beg you; pleasepray, leave us alone
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for prays
pray
v.
early 13c., "ask earnestly, beg," also (c.1300) "pray to a god or saint," from Old French preier "to pray" (c.900, Modern French prier), from Vulgar Latin *precare (also source of Italian pregare), from Latin precari "ask earnestly, beg, entreat," from *prex (plural preces, genitive precis) "prayer, request, entreaty," from PIE root *prek- "to ask, request, entreat" (cf. Sanskrit prasna-, Avestan frashna- "question;" Old Church Slavonic prositi, Lithuanian prasyti "to ask, beg;" Old High German frahen, German fragen, Old English fricgan "to ask" a question).
Parenthetical expression I pray you, "please, if you will," attested from 1510s, contracted to pray 16c. Related: Prayed; praying. Praying mantis attested from 1809. The "Gardener's Monthly" of July 1861 lists other names for it as camel cricket, soothsayer, and rear horse.