- a variation of prize.
prise
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to force open by levering
-
to extract or obtain with difficulty
they had to prise the news out of him
noun
Etymology
Origin of prise
C17: from Old French prise a taking, from prendre to take, from Latin prehendere; see prize 1
Explanation
To prise is to extract or move something using force, the way you'd prise your stolen diary out of your snooping sibling's hands. The verb prise is good for when you use an effortful physical force. If you're struggling to open an old window that's painted shut, you may need a screwdriver to prise it open. Don't mistake prise for its homonym prize, which as a verb means "to cherish or appreciate." The two words do share a root, the Latin prendere, "to grasp, seize, or catch."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A survey by France's secondary school union found nearly 78% had recorded temperatures above 30C this week, and said it had received reports of teachers bringing in screwdrivers to prise windows open.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Jalibert landed his fourth conversion to bring his team to within a point but could not then prise another gap in the Pau defence.
From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025
On Monday, McCullum would have had to march on to the field to prise the ball from Stokes' hand.
From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025
Mookie Betts took a clean catch in front of the wall but a Yankees supporter tried to prise the ball out of Betts' glove - and Torres was ruled out on fan interference.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2024
Mastering himself again, he tried to prise the locket apart with his fingers, then attempted the charm Hermione had used to open Regulus’s bedroom door.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
