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

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

From The Wall Street Journal

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network: it creates a secure private tunnel over public networks, like the internet, which can shield your online activity from prying eyes.

From Salon

The property—which appears somewhat unassuming from the outside—also offers ample privacy thanks to the trees that surround it on three sides, creating a natural barrier from prying eyes.

From MarketWatch

Canned answers to prying questions about career mistakes and bumps in our personal lives must be at the ready the moment the festivities begin.

From Salon

When the agents failed to pry the sofa bed open, Maltzan told them it was stuck, but they could “shoot through the couch” if they thought she was hiding anything.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• extract
• pull
• wrest