# pray

/ˈpɹeɪ/ (US) · /pɹˈeɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pray
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. religious worship

verb · CEFR B1

to speak to a god to give thanks or ask for help.

For teachers: to address a deity or object of worship with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving.

- 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.

### 2. to hope strongly

verb · CEFR B2

to hope very much that something will happen or be true.

For teachers: to express or feel a strong inward hope for a specific outcome.

- 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.

### 3. to beg or request

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to ask someone for something in a very serious or formal way.

For teachers: to make a formal or humble request to a person in authority; often used in legal petitions.

- 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.

### 4. please

adverb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal

an old-fashioned way to say 'please' when asking a question.

For teachers: 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?

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.