prey

[ prey ]

/ preɪ /

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See synonyms for: prey / preyed / preying on Thesaurus.com

noun

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: a con man looking for his next prey.

the action or habit of preying: a beast of prey.

Archaic. booty or plunder.

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 poor people.

OTHER WORDS FOR prey

2 dupe, gull, mark.

See synonyms for prey on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about prey

fall prey (to), to be victimized, harmed, or killed: chickens that fell prey to a hawk;fall prey to internet scams.

Origin of prey

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English prei(e), preye, “booty, plunder, prey,” from Old French proie, praie, preie, from Latin praeda; akin to prehendere to grasp, seize; see prehension

OTHER WORDS FROM prey

preyer, nounun·prey·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH prey

pray, prayer, prey

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prey in a sentence

Bill, of course, is in the latter stages of Hep V—an AIDS-like virus that preys on vampires.
'True Blood' Ends With a Whimper: The Sexy HBO Vampire Series Is (Finally) Over|Marlow Stern|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Putin preys on the fact that the West thinks money and sport are neutral, or at least civilizing influences.
Best Way to Punish Putin? No World Cup|Tunku Varadarajan|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This one is ugly for sure, a resistant-to-almost-everything bacteria that preys on the hospitalized patient.
Why I’m Not Worried About Dying From a Superbug, and You Shouldn’t Be, Either|Kent Sepkowitz|March 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Then there was the accusation by Kyle that she “preys on the weak.”
‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Lisa Vanderpump Dishes|Nicole LaPorte|February 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST

These two men helped create the payday loan business that preys on the poorest Americans.
America’s Nastiest Lender|Gary Rivlin|June 25, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Every one of us preys upon his Neighbour, and yet we herd together.
The Beggar's Opera|John Gay
The Mantis-killing Tachytes, for instance, preys indiscriminately upon all the Mantides that occur in her neighbourhood.
More Hunting Wasps|J. Henri Fabre
Everything preys on something else—you prey on the animals you eat, and the folk you make fools of on the Stock Exchange.
The Angel of Pain|E. F. Benson
The Puccinia gramienis, "preys upon the juices of plants, and prevents the grain from swelling."
Epidemics Examined and Explained: or, Living Germs Proved by Analogy to be a Source of Disease|John Grove
It is a powerful bird that preys upon the smaller Gulls, eating both the eggs and young.
Western Bird Guide|Chester A. (Chester Albert) Reed, Harry F. Harvey, and Rex I. Brasher

British Dictionary definitions for prey

prey

/ (preɪ) /

noun

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

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)

Derived forms of prey

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

prey

OTHER WORDS FOR prey

Idioms about prey

Origin of prey

OTHER WORDS FROM prey

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH prey

Words related to prey

How to use prey in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for prey

Derived forms of prey

Word Origin for prey