# pry

/ˈpɹaɪ/ (US) · /pɹˈaɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pry
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to be nosy

verb · CEFR B2

to try to find out private information about other people in an annoying or rude way.

For teachers: to inquire impertinently into others' private affairs; to snoop or be excessively inquisitive.

- I don't mean to pry, but why did you leave your last job so suddenly?
- Journalists were accused of prying into the family's private grief during the aftermath of the tragedy.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'into'.

### 2. to force open

verb · CEFR B2

to use a tool or a lot of effort to pull something open or away from something else.

For teachers: to move, raise, or open something by using leverage or force.

- He used a screwdriver to pry the lid off the paint can.
- The investigators had to pry the rusted door open to gain access to the abandoned basement.

Usage: Commonly used with particles like 'open', 'off', or 'away'.

### 3. to get information with difficulty

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to get a secret or information from someone who does not want to tell you.

For teachers: to extract information or a confession from a reluctant source with significant effort.

- It took hours to pry the truth out of him about where he had been.
- The lawyers managed to pry a confession out of the witness after a grueling three-hour cross-examination.

Usage: Usually takes the form 'pry something out of someone'.

### 4. a tool

noun · CEFR C2 · American English

a metal bar or tool used for lifting heavy things or forcing things open.

For teachers: a tool used as a lever, such as a crowbar.

- He grabbed a heavy iron pry from the back of the truck to lift the stone.
- The construction crew used a long steel pry to shift the concrete slab just enough to inspect the pipes beneath.

## Examples

- I do not want to pry, but are you okay?
- The journalists were accused of trying to pry into the celebrity's private medical records during the scandal.
- Using a heavy iron bar, the workers managed to pry the rusted hatch open, revealing a damp chamber that had been sealed for decades.

---

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.