pray

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.

• enPR: prā, IPA^(key): /pɹeɪ/

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• Rhymes: -eɪ
• Homophone: prey

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 […]

• prayer
• pray in aid
• prithee

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?