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Synonyms

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.

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.

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)

"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

noun

  1. the act of prying

  2. a person who pries

"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 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
"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Perez’s case is one of several in which the Civilian Oversight Commission has tried unsuccessfully to pry records out of the Sheriff’s Department.

From Los Angeles Times

We asked some parenting experts for their tips on how to pry those phones away from their offspring's hands – even if only for a short while.

From BBC

I pried her fingers loose, shut off the water, and drew her away from the puddle on the floor.

From Literature

However, because it sits in a gated parcel, it provides residents ample privacy, further amplified by the surrounding trees, which create a natural barrier from prying eyes.

From MarketWatch

I had the feeling she knew I was being evasive, but she wasn’t going to pry like a nosy auntie.

From Literature

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.