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

• pries
  plural

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

• pries
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pries
  plural

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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

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Explanation

To pry is to try and find something out that is none of your business. We all hate people who pry, sticking their nose into our personal affairs, and it is an annoying and disrespectful habit. We are taught as children to ask questions, but sometimes those questions are used to pry, or peek into someone's private business. A nosy person will peek into some else's life the same way one might use a crowbar to pry open a crate (though — alert! — that pry has a different origin). Our word is thought to come from a word related to the Old English verb beprīwan, "to wink," which evolved into the Middle English prie, "to peer in," which gives us today's meaning.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pry pries pried prying

Too many overlapping yarns in a movie make for a convoluted final product, a big clump of colorful material that’s too dense to pry apart to see the substance lurking below.

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026

They sent two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps to pry Kessler, a restricted free agent, from Utah.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

A Medicare decision, especially alongside a blessing from guideline groups like the American Cancer Society, is what tends to pry open the commercial market, says Dan Brennan of TD Cowen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Still, it’s tough to pry focus away from the powerful bull market in stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

He’d find Mr. Burrows’s crate, pry it open, and take a quick peek at the mummy.

From "I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912" by Lauren Tarshis

Spot gold pries are down 5% at $4,616 a troy ounce while silver is down 7.8% at $78.18 an ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

Concerned, she visits a doctor, and when the specialist pries the welt open, hundreds of small spiders crawl out.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 12, 2024

U.S. oil and gas production, however, is on track to reach record highs in 2023 and 2024 due in part to rising oil pries.

From Reuters ● Sep. 18, 2023

So of course he pries it out of her: she's quitting.

From Salon ● May 22, 2023

‘Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies. A bad end comes to a person who pries.’

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

The only thing that really matters is whether the kid runs out the door to play, or has to be pried off the bed like a cat that hears the bathtub running.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

In 1947, after reports of strong odors were reported, a huge crowd on the street watched as police and city officials pried their way inside to look for the brothers’ bodies.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

The other way is when those journals are pried from their hands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

Gilbert’s book has pried open a feminist door that felt long slammed shut.

From Slate ● May 12, 2025

Then, as he wrapped the sacking firmly around and her mother pried the clenched teeth open, Helvi poured a little warm milk and precious brandy down the pale cold throat.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

The money was supposedly a bribe to persuade her to go abroad, to avoid the prying eyes of the press.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

He wanted to protect Lee and Cullen from prying journalists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

This is an uncomplicated yarn about a man prying open his heart and nudging other hard nuts to do the same.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Seclusion was clearly top of mind when the home was designed, with a long driveway and tree-lined parcel helping to protect the dwelling from any prying eyes—a must for an actress of Ryan’s renown.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

He felt like he was prying and decided not to read any more of the notebooks.

From "The River" by Gary Paulsen

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Related Words

• extract
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