pray

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English preien, from Anglo-Norman preier, from Old French preier, proier (French prier), from Latin precārī, from prex, precis (“a prayer, a request”), from Proto-Italic *preks, from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to ask, woo”).

Cognate via Indo-European of Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Compare deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

Pronunciation

• enPR: prā, IPA^(key): /pɹeɪ/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -eɪ
• Homophone: prey

Verb

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

1. (religion) To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc.

   Muslims pray in the direction of Mecca.

   • 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: Elkin Mathews, , →OCLC:

     Pray to the small gods and hope that they may hear thee. Yet what mercy should the small gods have, who themselves made Death and Pain; or shall they restrain their old hound Time for thee?

   • 2021 January 13, Bethan McKernan, “Turkey drought: Istanbul could run out of water in 45 days”, in The Guardian‎:

     The critically low level of rainfall in the second half of 2020 – approaching 50% year on year for November – led the religious affairs directorate to instruct imams and their congregations to pray for rain last month.

2. To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
3. (obsolete) To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     I know not how to pray your patience.

4. To wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome.

   She is praying that the Red Sox will win tonight.

5. (obsolete) To implore, to entreat, to request.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 7:

     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 […]

   • 1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 370:

     In time of drought the Abchases of the Caucasus sacrifice an ox to Ap-hi, the god of thunder and lightning, and an old man prays him to send rain, thunder, and lightning, telling him that the crops are parched.

   • 2021, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, “Schedule”, in Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021‎, page 31:

     I humbly pray to the Honorable Court for the order for the removal of the publication which contains fake news to be granted.

Derived terms

Related terms

• precarious

Translations

Etymology 2

Ellipsis of I pray you, I pray thee, whence also prithee.

Adverb

pray (not comparable)

1. (archaic or formal) Please; used to make a polite request

   pray silence for…

   • 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 8, in Emma: , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: for John Murray, →OCLC:

     "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?"

   • 1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “Chapter the Tenth”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. , volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, , published 1841, →OCLC:

     Pray don’t ask me why, pray don’t be sorry, pray don’t be vexed with me!

   • 1845, Frederick Marryat, “Chapter XXI”, in The Mission:

     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.

2. Alternative form of pray tell (“I ask you (insincerely)”)
   • 20 September 2013, Martina Hyde, “Is the pope Catholic?”, in The Guardian‎:

     He is a South American, so perhaps revolutionary spirit courses through Francis's veins. But what, pray, does the Catholic church want with doubt?

Middle English

Verb

pray

1. Alternative form of preie
   • 1470–1483 (date produced), Thom̃s Malleorre [i.e., Thomas Malory], “[Morte Arthur]”, in Le Morte Darthur (British Library Additional Manuscript 59678), [England: s.n.], folio 449, verso, lines 15–18:

     Than ſpake ẜ Gawayne And ſeyde brothir · ẜ Aggravayne I pray you and charge you meve no ſuch · maters no more a fore me fro wyte you well I woll nat be of youre counceyle //

     Then spoke Sir Gawain, and said, “Brother, Sir Agrivain, I pray you and charge you move not such matters any more before me, for be ye assured I will not be of your counsel.”