What does "prayer" mean?

1. (spiritual communication) the act of speaking to a god or spirit, either to give thanks or to ask for help. 2. (religious text) the specific words that people say when they pray. 3. (a request) a serious or sincere request for help from someone. 4. (a small chance) a very small hope or chance that something will happen. 5. (one who prays) a person who is praying.

How do you use "prayer"?

Usually appears in the phrase 'not a prayer' or 'without a prayer'. Distinguished from the spiritual act by pronunciation; the agent noun is often two syllables (pray-er).

prayer — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01spiritual communication

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Religion

n. the act of speaking to a god or spirit, either to give thanks or to ask for help.

n. the practice or act of communicating with a deity or spiritual entity. Often uncountable when referring to the general practice.

“She knelt by her bed every night to offer a silent prayer for her family.”

“The community gathered in the square for a moment of silent prayer following the news of the disaster.”

Synonyms

devotion worship

02religious text

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Religion

n. the specific words that people say when they pray.

n. a set form of words used in praying, such as a liturgical text or a personal petition.

“The children learned a simple prayer to say before they ate their lunch.”

“The priest recited an ancient Latin prayer that had been part of the cathedral's liturgy for centuries.”

Synonyms

invocation collect

03a request

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Formal · Literary

n. a serious or sincere request for help from someone.

n. an earnest request, petition, or entreaty directed toward an authority or another person.

“The prisoner's final prayer for mercy was rejected by the court.”

“The delegation presented a formal prayer to the governor, requesting a stay of execution for the historic building.”

Synonyms

plea appeal petition

04a small chance

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal

n. a very small hope or chance that something will happen.

n. the slightest chance or hope of success; frequently used in negative constructions.

“With ten miles to go and a broken wheel, the team didn't have a prayer of winning.”

“The startup didn't have a prayer of securing the contract against such established international competitors.”

Usage

Usually appears in the phrase 'not a prayer' or 'without a prayer'.

Synonyms

hope chance shot

05one who prays

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Formal

n. a person who is praying.

n. an agent noun referring to an individual engaged in the act of prayer.

“The temple was filled with silent prayers bowing toward the altar.”

“The artist captured the humble posture of the prayer, whose face was obscured by the shadows of the chapel.”

Usage

Distinguished from the spiritual act by pronunciation; the agent noun is often two syllables (pray-er).

Synonyms

worshippersupplicant

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “prayer” in context.

Verb

01. lead prayer

“The local priest was invited to lead the prayer at the opening ceremony.”

verb + noun

02. offer prayer

“The community gathered to offer prayers for the victims of the flood.”

verb + noun

03. prayer helps

“Many people find that regular prayer helps them cope with stress.”

noun + verb

04. say prayer

“The children say their prayers every night before going to sleep.”

verb + noun

Adjective

05. answered prayer

“Finding the lost documents was an answered prayer for the legal team.”

adj + noun

06. daily prayer

“The monks gather four times a day for daily prayer.”

adj + noun

07. silent prayer

“She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for her family's safety.”

adj + noun

Noun

08. call to prayer

“The beautiful sound of the call to prayer echoed across the city at dawn.”

noun + prep + noun

09. wing and prayer

“With the engine failing, the pilot landed the plane on a wing and a prayer.”

noun + conj + noun

10. answer to a prayer

“This new job offer is a real answer to a prayer.”

11. kneel in prayer

“Several worshippers were seen kneeling in prayer at the front of the church.”

12. not have a prayer

“Without any funding, the project doesn't have a prayer of succeeding.”

From Middle English preiere, from Old French preiere, from Early Medieval Latin precāria, derived from Latin precem. Displaced native Old English ġebed (whence modern English bead).

pray + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

pray(B1)

NOUN

prayer(B1)