pray
v.v. to speak to a god or a holy person to give thanks or ask for help. You can do this silently in your mind or out loud with others.
v. to address a deity or object of worship with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving. Often used intransitively with 'for' or 'to', or transitively when introducing a reported clause.
Many people pray for peace every day.
Before the surgery began, the family gathered in the waiting room to pray for a successful outcome.
In many ancient cultures, citizens would pray to the gods of the harvest to ensure the community survived the coming winter months.
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.
Intransitive when followed by 'for' (the object of desire) or 'to' (the deity); can be transitive when followed by a 'that' clause.
I pray you for helpI pray to you for helpWhen addressing a person or deity, the verb requires the preposition 'to' before the recipient.