Word
pray
US/ˈpɹeɪ/
UK/pɹˈeɪ/
Definitions
01religious worship
B1 · Intermediate Religion
v. to speak to a god to give thanks or ask for help.
v. to address a deity or object of worship with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving.
日本語:祈る※
“The family gathered every evening to pray for their health and safety.”
“Many pilgrims travel hundreds of miles to the shrine to pray for divine intervention in their personal struggles.”
02to hope strongly
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to hope very much that something will happen or be true.
v. to express or feel a strong inward hope for a specific outcome.
日本語:祈る※
“I am praying that the rain stops before the outdoor wedding starts.”
“The farmers were praying for a successful harvest after the previous year's devastating drought had depleted their savings.”
03to beg or request
C1 · Advanced Law Formal
v. to ask someone for something in a very serious or formal way.
v. to make a formal or humble request to a person in authority; often used in legal petitions.
日本語:願う※
“The prisoner began to pray for mercy from the king.”
“The petitioner moved the court to pray for an injunction against the further development of the protected wetlands.”
04please
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Formal
adv. an old-fashioned way to say 'please' when asking a question.
adv. an archaic or highly formal marker of a polite request or inquiry, typically used at the beginning of a sentence.
“Pray, tell me what you have discovered during your travels.”
“Pray, what is the meaning of this sudden intrusion into my private chambers?”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “pray” in context.
Verb
01. kneel and pray
“The pilgrims entered the old church to kneel and pray at the altar.”
verb + and + verb
02. pray for peace
“Every morning, the community gathers to pray for peace in the world.”
verb + prep + noun
03. pray that the rain stops
“We are praying that the rain stops before the outdoor wedding begins.”
verb + that-clause
Preposition
04. pray in silence
“The visitors were asked to pray in silence to respect others.”
verb + prep + noun
Adverb
05. earnestly pray for a miracle
“The family earnestly prayed for a miracle when their son fell ill.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
06. pray daily
“Many people in this village pray daily at the local temple.”
verb + adv
07. silently pray for help
“She closed her eyes and silently prayed for help during the difficult exam.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
Etymology
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”). Displaced native Old English gebiddan. Cognate via Indo-European of Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Compare deprecate, imprecate, precarious.
Ellipsis of I pray you, I pray thee, whence also prithee.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/pray
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0