Contents

English

Etymology

Middle English preien < Old French preier, (French prier) < Latin precari, from prex, precis, “a prayer, a request”; akin to Sanskrit prach “to ask”, Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Confer deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

Pronunciation

Verb

Infinitive to pray

Third person singular prays

Simple past prayed

Past participle prayed

Present participle praying

to pray (third-person singular simple present prays, present participle praying, simple past and past participle prayed)

  1. To petition or solicit help from a supernatural or higher being.
  2. To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
  3. (religion, Christianity, Judaism) to talk to God for any reason.

Antonyms

Derived terms

 

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