PRAY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pray mean? 

• PRAY (verb)
  The verb PRAY has 2 senses:

1. address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

2. call upon in supplication; entreat

  Familiarity information: PRAY used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRAY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they pray    ... he / she / it prays   
Past simple: prayed   
Past participle: prayed   
-ing form: praying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

pray to the Lord

Hypernyms (to "pray" is one way to...):

commune (communicate intimately with; be in a state of heightened, intimate receptivity)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Somebody ----s to somebody

Derivation:

prayer (the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving))

prayer (a fixed text used in praying)

prayer (reverent petition to a deity)

prayer (someone who prays to God)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Call upon in supplication; entreat

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

beg; implore; pray

Context example:

I beg you to stop!

Hypernyms (to "pray" is one way to...):

plead (appeal or request earnestly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pray"):

crave (plead or ask for earnestly)

supplicate (ask humbly (for something))

importune; insist (beg persistently and urgently)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They pray to move

 Context examples 

"My dear friends," said Oz, "I pray you not to speak of these little things. Think of me, and the terrible trouble I'm in at being found out."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Say nothing to Madame, but when she sleeps go you and sit alone a while to think good thoughts, and pray the dear God preserve your sister.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Good man, cried he, pray get me out of this scrape.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

"And pray what would you do?" she asked.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Pray resume your seat and let me know how I can serve you.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I began sometimes to pray: very brief prayers they were, but very sincere.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

And, pray, who is Charles Hayter?

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

I remember hearing the sudden barking of the dogs and a lot of queer sounds, like praying on a very tumultuous scale, from Mr. Renfield's room, which is somewhere under this.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Pray send me some news of the latter—I am quite unhappy about him; he seemed so uncomfortable when he went away, with a cold, or something that affected his spirits.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Pray sit down and tell me what is the matter.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)