Definition of 'pray'
Word forms: prays, praying, prayed
1. intransitive verb
When people pray, they speak to God in order to give thanks or to ask for help.
2. transitive verb [usu cont]
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
pray
Word Frequency
pray in American English
verb transitive
2.
to ask for by prayer or
supplication; beg for imploringly
3.
to
recite (a prayer)
4.
to bring about,
get, etc. by praying
verb intransitive
5.
to ask very earnestly; make supplication, as to a
deity
6.
to worship God, a god, etc., as by reciting certain set
formulas
SIMILAR WORDS: apˈpeal
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME preien < OFr preier < LL precare, for L precari < prex (gen. precis), prayer < IE *pre-, var. of base *per-, question > Ger frage, question
Word Frequency
pray in British English
verb
1. (when intr, often foll by for; when tr, usually takes a clause as object)
we prayed to God for the sick child
2. (when tr, usually takes a clause as object or an infinitive)
she prayed to be allowed to go
leave, I pray you
exclamation
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C13: from Old French preier, from Latin precārī to implore, from prex an entreaty; related to Old English fricgan, Old High German frāgēn to ask, Old Norse fregna to enquire
Examples of 'pray' in a sentence
pray
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
Read more…
Trends of
pray
View usage over:
In other languages
pray
British English: pray
/preɪ/ VERB
When people pray, they speak to God in order to give thanks or to ask for help.
She prayed that God would judge her kindly.
Now all we have to do is help ourselves and pray to God.
- American English: pray
- Arabic: يُصَلِّي
- Brazilian Portuguese: rezar
- Chinese: 祈祷
- Croatian: moliti
- Czech: modlit se
- Danish: bede
- Dutch: bidden
- European Spanish: rezar
- Finnish: rukoilla
- French: prier
- German: beten
- Greek: προσεύχομαι
- Italian: pregare
- Japanese: 祈る
- Korean: 기도하다
- Norwegian: be
- Polish: pomodlić się
- European Portuguese: rezar
- Romanian: a se ruga
- Russian: молиться
- Spanish: rezar
- Swedish: be bön
- Thai: สวดมนต์
- Turkish: dua etmek
- Ukrainian: молитися
- Vietnamese: cầu nguyện
Nearby words of
pray
Source
Definition of pray from the
Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
annual loss or sad loss?
Which version is correct?
negative view or ocean views?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
ocean views
negative view
There isn't a pool but the are wonderful.
criminal activity or economic activity?
Which version is correct?
faltering economy or industrial economies?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
faltering economy
industrial economies
Swift change could harm Britain's already .
civil action or swift action?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
civil action
swift action
You could pursue a for damages against her.
Your score:
Word of the day
ratatouille
Ratatouille is a cooked dish made with vegetables such as tomatoes, onions , aubergines, courgettes, and peppers.
Latest Word Submissions
From glamping to drivecations: the search for the best staycation
Riddle: When is a staycation not a staycation?
To me it seems like centuries ago that we Brits first cottoned on to that handy word staycation. I’d place it at about 15 years ago – which at today’s speed of change feels more like 150.
Read more
Study guides for every stage of your learning journey
Whether you're in search of a crossword puzzle, a detailed guide to tying knots, or tips on writing the perfect college essay, Harper Reference has you covered for all your study needs.
Read more
Anticipation and rain check are among the most frequently looked-up words in July
Perhaps the most striking thing about the list of words that people have looked up in the Collins Dictionary in July is that it no longer contains a lot of words that were being looked up earlier in the year.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more.
Read more
Area 51, Starship, and Harvest Moon: September’s Words in the News
I’m sure a lot of people would agree that we live in strange times. But do they have to be so strange that Area 51 is making headlines? And what’s this about fish the look like aliens. September’s Words in the News explain all.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
tail or tale?
Which version is correct?
farther or father?
Which version is correct?
ring or wring?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
ring
wring
You can me anytime.
ridden or rode?
Which version is correct?
dear or deer?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
dear
deer
Mrs Cavendish is a friend of mine.
Your score: