pry

¹ American  

[prahy] / praɪ /

verb (used without object)

pried, prying

1. to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something.

   to pry into the personal affairs of others.

2. to look closely or curiously; peer; peep.

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noun

plural

pries

1. an impertinently inquisitive person.

2. an act of prying.

pry ² American  

[prahy] / praɪ /

verb (used with object)

pried, prying

1. to move, raise, or open by leverage.

2. to get, separate, or ferret out with difficulty.

   to pry a secret out of someone;

   We finally pried them away from the TV.

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noun

plural

pries

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

2. the leverage exerted.

pry ¹ British  

/ praɪ /

verb

1. to make an impertinent or uninvited inquiry (about a private matter, topic, etc)

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noun

1. the act of prying

2. a person who pries

pry ² British  

/ praɪ /

verb

1. to force open by levering

2. to extract or obtain with difficulty

   they had to pry the news out of him

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Etymology

Origin of pry¹

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

Origin of pry²

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

Example Sentences

Outside, the home features a glittering lap pool that overlooks the ocean, while hedges that border the 1-acre property help to ensure privacy from prying eyes, something that Doherty is said to have prized.

From MarketWatch

Rescue workers used specialised equipment to pry survivors from the wreckage, the local Lao Cai newspaper reported.

From Barron's

Experts say similar AI tools are being used to create deepfake audio and video of corporate executives to try to pry information out of unwitting employees.

From The Wall Street Journal

The renewed effort to pry open these archives stems from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed with bipartisan support.

From Salon

The copper pirates have pried heavy metal plates from sidewalks to access underground lines.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• extract
• pull
• wrest