Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for prey on Thesaurus.com an animal hunted or seized for food, especially by a carnivorous animal. a person or thing that is the victim of an enemy, a swindler, a disease, etc.; gull. the action or habit of preying: a beast of prey. Archaic booty or plunder. Show More
verb (used without object) to seize and devour prey, as an animal does (usually followed by on or upon ): Foxes prey on rabbits. to make raids or attacks for booty or plunder: The Vikings preyed on coastal settlements. to exert a harmful or destructive influence: His worries preyed upon his mind. to victimize another or others (usually followed by on or upon ): loan sharks that prey upon the poor. Show More
Origin of prey 1200–50; Middle English preye <
Old French <
Latin praeda booty, prey; akin to
prehendere to grasp, seize (see
prehension )
Related forms prey·er , noun un·prey·ing , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for preying Contemporary Examples of preying Being a predator and preying on underage kids makes you a predator.
But young men have been “preying ” on young women since the dawn of time.
Finally, there are criminal elements that seem to be preying on all sides of the conflict.
Sandusky has been charged with preying on young boys over a 15-year period.
The number of cases has led to speculation that a serial killer has been preying on women in the area.
Historical Examples of preying And this idea of restraint was preying upon him, and he could not throw it off.
He noticed that some secret grief was preying upon the Prince's mind.
He compelled Algiers to prevent her pirates from preying upon our commerce.
The whining dogs are preying upon your simpleness, mistress Israel.
Predaceous: applied to insects that live by preying upon other organisms.
British Dictionary definitions for preying an animal hunted or captured by another for food a person or thing that becomes the victim of a hostile person, influence, etc beast of prey an animal that preys on others for food bird of prey a bird that preys on others for food an archaic word for booty 1 Show More
verb (intr; often foll by on or upon) to hunt or seize food by killing other animals to make a victim (of others), as by profiting at their expense to exert a depressing or obsessive effect (on the mind, spirits, etc); weigh heavily (upon) Show More
Derived Forms preyer , noun Word Origin for prey C13: from Old French preie, from Latin praeda booty; see predatory
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for preying n. mid-13c., "animal hunted for food," also "that which is taken in war," from Old French preie "booty, animal taken in the chase" (mid-12c., Modern French proie ), from Latin praeda "booty, plunder, game hunted," earlier praeheda , related to prehendere "to grasp, seize" (see prehensile ).
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v. c.1300, "to plunder, pillage, ravage," from prey (n.) and in part from Old French preer , earlier preder (c.1040), from Late Latin praedare , from praeda (see prey (n.)). Its sense of "to kill and devour" is attested from mid-14c. Related: Preyed ; preying .
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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