pry

[ prahy ]

/ praɪ /

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See synonyms for: pry / pried / prying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), pried, pry·ing.

to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something: to pry into the personal affairs of others.

to look closely or curiously; peer; peep.

noun, plural pries.

an impertinently inquisitive person.

an act of prying.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of pry

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English prien, “look about, peep”; further origin unknown

Other definitions for pry (2 of 2)

pry²

[ prahy ]

/ praɪ /

verb (used with object), pried, pry·ing.

to move, raise, or open by leverage.

to get, separate, or ferret out with difficulty: to pry a secret out of someone;We finally pried them away from the TV.

noun, plural pries.

a tool, as a crowbar, for raising, moving, or opening something by leverage.

the leverage exerted.

Origin of pry

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from prize³, taken as a plural noun or 3rd person singular verb

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

How to use pry in a sentence

It is delicious, yes, but it is even more delicious when the consumer has pried into its history and process a bit.
Why Maya Angelou Loved Sherry, The Drink of Brilliant Renegades|Jordan Salcito|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Daily Pic: In 1988, Lynne Cohen showed pictures that pried the lid off reality.
High-Flown Photography|Blake Gopnik|November 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
If those beliefs can be pried loose just a bit, Frost says, the possessions might eventually follow.
Hoarding Made a Hit TV Show. Now It’s Becoming a Sickness in the DSM.|Casey Schwartz|May 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
With the wedge Rose pried a floor-board out of its place, and made an opening large enough to let himself through.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various

Then they brought out a great chisel and pried off the planking, fearful of the noise it made.
The Rival Campers Afloat|Ruel Perley Smith
The lids of the boxes were pried off with bayonets, and the Sergeants ran along the companies distributing the packages.
Si Klegg, Book 2 (of 6)|John McElroy
With a chisel we pried at the sides of a large block of masonry, perhaps eight bricks in size.
Masterpieces of Mystery, Vol. 1 (of 4)|Various
The mouth must not be held open as if the jaws were pried apart.
The Child-Voice in Singing|Francis E. Howard

British Dictionary definitions for pry (1 of 2)

pry¹

/ (praɪ) /

verb pries, prying or pried

(intr often foll by into) to make an impertinent or uninvited inquiry (about a private matter, topic, etc)

noun plural pries

the act of prying

a person who pries

Word Origin for pry

C14: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for pry (2 of 2)

pry²

/ (praɪ) /

verb pries, prying or pried

to force open by levering

US and Canadian to extract or obtain with difficultythey had to pry the news out of him

Equivalent term (in Britain and other countries): prise

Word Origin for pry

C14: of unknown origin

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

pry

Origin of pry

Other definitions for pry (2 of 2)

Origin of pry

Words related to pry

How to use pry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pry (1 of 2)

Word Origin for pry

British Dictionary definitions for pry (2 of 2)

Word Origin for pry