Contents

English

Etymology

Middle English preien < Old French preier, (French prier) < Latin precari, from prex, precis, “a prayer, a request”; akin to Sanskrit prach “to ask”, Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Confer deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

Pronunciation

Verb

to 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.
  2. To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
  3. (religion, Christianity, Judaism) to talk to God for any reason.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Adverb

pray (not comparable)

  1. please
    • 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.

 

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