pray

See also: Pray

English

Etymology

From Middle English preien, from Anglo-Norman preier, from Old French preier, proier, (French prier), from Late Latin *precāre, from Latin precārī, present active infinitive of precor, from prex, precis (“a prayer, a request”), from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to ask, woo”). Cognate via Indo-European of Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Confer deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

Pronunciation
  • enPR: prā, IPA(key): /pɹeɪ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪ
  • Homophone: prey

Verb

pray (third-person singular simple present prays, present participle praying, simple past and past participle prayed)

  1. To petition or solicit help from a supernatural or higher being.
    Muslims (or submitters) pray in the direction of Mecca.
  2. To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
  3. (religion) To communicate with God for any reason.
  4. (obsolete) To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
    • William Shakespeare
      I know not how to pray your patience.
  5. (obsolete) to implore, to entreat, to request.
    • Edmund Spenser
      They prayd him sit, and gave him for to feed / Such homely what as serves the simple clowne, / That doth despise the dainties of the towne […]

Derived terms

Translations
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Translations to be checked

Adverb

pray (not comparable)

  1. Please; used to make a polite request.
    pray silence for…
    • 1816, Jane Austen, Emma, Volume 1 Chapter 8
      "Pray, Mr. Knightley," said Emma, who had been smiling to herself through a great part of this speech, "how do you know that Mr. Martin did not speak yesterday?"
    • Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, Chapter 10, 1841:
      Pray don’t ask me why, pray don’t be sorry, pray don’t be vexed with me!
    • Frederick Marryat, The Mission, Chapter XXI, 1845:
      Well, Major, pray tell us your adventures, for you have frightened us dreadfully.
    • 1892, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
      Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your most interesting statement.
    • 2013, Martina Hyde, Is the pope Catholic? (in The Guardian, 20 September 2013)
      He is a South American, so perhaps revolutionary spirit courses through Francis's veins. But what, pray, does the Catholic church want with doubt?
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