pray

P0504600 (prā)v. prayed, pray·ing, prays v.intr. To utter or address a prayer or prayers to a deity or an object of worship, often as an entreaty: people praying in the pews of the church; people praying for divine guidance; people praying for their loved ones.v.tr.1. To use prayer to request (that something may happen): The congregation prayed that the drought would end soon. The child prayed to be more considerate of others.2. To say (a prayer or group of prayers): pray the rosary.3. To make a devout or earnest request for: I pray your forgiveness.4. To utter or say a prayer or prayers to; address by prayer: "I pray Heaven that I never may forget the dear girl" (Charles Dickens).5. Archaic To ask (someone) imploringly for something; beseech. Used chiefly in the phrase I pray you to introduce a polite or urgent request or question: I pray you be careful.adv. Used to make a polite or urgent request or question: Pray don't apologize.

[Middle English preien, from Old French preier, from Latin precārī, from precēs, pl. of *prex, prayer; see prek- in Indo-European roots.]

pray

(preɪ) vb1. (when: intr, often foll by for; when tr, usually takes a clause as object) to utter prayers (to God or other object of worship): we prayed to God for the sick child. 2. (when tr, usually takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to make an earnest entreaty (to or for); beg or implore: she prayed to be allowed to go; leave, I pray you. 3. (tr) rare to accomplish or bring by praying: to pray a soul into the kingdom. interjarchaic I beg you; please: pray, leave us alone. [C13: from Old French preier, from Latin precārī to implore, from prex an entreaty; related to Old English fricgan, Old High German frāgēn to ask, Old Norse fregna to enquire]

pray

(preɪ)

v.t. 1. to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to (God or an object of worship). 2. to offer (a prayer). 3. to make earnest petition to (a person). 4. to make entreaty for; crave: I pray your forgiveness. 5. to bring, put, etc., by praying: to pray a soul into heaven. v.i. 6. to offer devout petition, praise, thanks, etc., to God or to an object of worship; engage in prayer. 7. to make entreaty to a person or for a thing. [1250–1300; Middle English preien < Old French preier « Latin precārī to beg, pray, derivative of prex (s. prec-) prayer]

pray

Past participle: prayed
Gerund: praying

Imperative
pray
pray

Present
I pray
you pray
he/she/it prays
we pray
you pray
they pray

Preterite
I prayed
you prayed
he/she/it prayed
we prayed
you prayed
they prayed

Present Continuous
I am praying
you are praying
he/she/it is praying
we are praying
you are praying
they are praying

Present Perfect
I have prayed
you have prayed
he/she/it has prayed
we have prayed
you have prayed
they have prayed

Past Continuous
I was praying
you were praying
he/she/it was praying
we were praying
you were praying
they were praying

Past Perfect
I had prayed
you had prayed
he/she/it had prayed
we had prayed
you had prayed
they had prayed

Future
I will pray
you will pray
he/she/it will pray
we will pray
you will pray
they will pray

Future Perfect
I will have prayed
you will have prayed
he/she/it will have prayed
we will have prayed
you will have prayed
they will have prayed

Future Continuous
I will be praying
you will be praying
he/she/it will be praying
we will be praying
you will be praying
they will be praying

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been praying
you have been praying
he/she/it has been praying
we have been praying
you have been praying
they have been praying

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been praying
you will have been praying
he/she/it will have been praying
we will have been praying
you will have been praying
they will have been praying

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been praying
you had been praying
he/she/it had been praying
we had been praying
you had been praying
they had been praying

Conditional
I would pray
you would pray
he/she/it would pray
we would pray
you would pray
they would pray

Past Conditional
I would have prayed
you would have prayed
he/she/it would have prayed
we would have prayed
you would have prayed
they would have prayed

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	pray - address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer; "pray to the Lord"commune - communicate intimately with; be in a state of heightened, intimate receptivity; "He seemed to commune with nature"
	2.	pray - call upon in supplication; entreat; "I beg you to stop!"beg, implorecrave - plead or ask for earnestlysupplicate - ask humbly (for something); "He supplicated the King for clemency"plead - appeal or request earnestly; "I pleaded with him to stop"importune, insist - beg persistently and urgently; "I importune you to help them"

pray

verb1. say your prayers, offer a prayer, recite the rosary He spent his time in prison praying and studying.2. beg, ask, plead, petition, urge, request, sue, crave, invoke, call upon, cry, solicit, implore, beseech, entreat, importune, adjure, supplicate They prayed for help.Quotations
"pray: to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]

pray

verb1. To offer a reverent petition to God or a god:supplicate.2. To make an earnest or urgent request:appeal, beg, beseech, crave, entreat, implore, plead, sue, supplicate.Archaic: conjure.

Translations

祈祷恳求

pray

(prei) verb1. to speak reverently to God or a god in order to express thanks, make a request etc. Let us pray; She prayed to God to help her.祈祷2. to hope earnestly. Everybody is praying for rain.恳求ˈprayer noun (an) act of praying. a book of prayer; The child said his prayers; My prayers have been answered (=I've got what I desired).祈祷

pray is a verb: to pray (not prey) for peace.

pray

→ 祈祷zhCN

pray

pray tell

set phrase Please tell me (about something). Pray tell, will your lovely wife be accompanying you to the gala this evening? A: "Sir, we have received news of the king's response." B: "Pray tell!"See also: pray, tell

pray for

1. To utter a prayer to God or some other deity as an entreaty for the physical or spiritual wellbeing of someone. We've all been praying for you after the accident. Let us all bow our heads and pray for those unfortunate souls lost in the accident.2. To utter a prayer to God or some other deity as an entreaty for something to happen or be granted. We've been praying for rain, but this drought is showing no sign of abating. I'll pray for a peaceful resolution to this conflict.See also: pray

pray over (something)

To utter prayers to God or some other deity in order to receive guidance or solace about some issue. I've spent many nights praying over this, but I just can't find it in my heart to forgive you. If ever I'm in doubt about what to do, I find a quiet, peaceful place and pray over it.See also: over, pray

pray to (someone or something)

To utter prayers to some deity, spiritual being, or object of worship. The tribe were all too busy praying to the statue in the middle of the village to notice us. The only thing to do at a time like this is pray to God or whomever, or whatever, you believe in.See also: pray

pray to the enamel god

slang To vomit into a toilet, especially profusely or extensively. Doing so often requires one to kneel in front of or bend over the toilet (the "enamel god"), a position that is likened to kneeling before or bowing to a sacred idol. If Tommy doesn't stop drinking, he'll be praying to the enamel god all night. I don't think I've ever thrown up so much before. I hope I never have to pray to the enamel god again in my life.See also: enamel, god, pray

pray to the porcelain god

slang To vomit into a toilet, especially profusely or extensively. Doing so often requires one to kneel in front of or bend over the toilet (the "porcelain god"), a position that is likened to kneeling before or bowing to a sacred idol. If Tommy doesn't stop drinking, he'll be praying to the porcelain god all night. I don't think I've ever thrown up so much before. I hope I never have to pray to the porcelain god again in my life.See also: god, porcelain, pray

the family that prays together stays together

Praying or engaging in other religious practices together as a group keeps a family unified (by helping it to avoid dysfunction, etc.). When I was growing up, my whole family always had to go to church together. My parents would say, "The family that prays together stays together."See also: family, pray, stay, that, together

family that prays together stays together

Prov. Families who practice religion together will not break apart through divorce or estrangement. Mother believed that the family that prays together stays together and insisted that we all say prayers every night.See also: family, pray, stay, that, together

pray for someone or something

1. to beseech God, or some other deity, on behalf of someone or something. I will pray for you to recover from your illness quickly. As the fire spread throughout the old church, the congregation prayed for its preservation. 2. to ask God, or some other deity, to grant something. The family prayed for David's safety. All the people prayed for peace.See also: pray

pray over something

1. to say grace over a meal. Do you pray over your meals? We prayed over dinner just after we sat down to eat. 2. to seek divine guidance about something through prayer. I will have to think about it and pray over it awhile. I'll have an answer next week. She prayed over the problem for a while and felt she had a solution.See also: over, pray

pray to someone or something

to utter prayers of praise or supplication to some divine or supernatural being or something. I pray to God that all this works out. The high priest prayed to the spirits of his ancestors that the rains would come.See also: pray

pray to the porcelain god

Sl. to kneel at the toilet bowl and vomit from drunkenness. Wally spent a while praying to the porcelain god last night. I think I have to go pray to the porcelain god.See also: god, porcelain, pray

pray to the porcelain god

and pray to the enamel god in. to empty one’s stomach; to vomit. (Refers to being on one’s knees [praying] in front of a porcelain toilet bowl.) Wayne was in the john, praying to the enamel god. See also: god, porcelain, pray

pray to the enamel god

verbSee pray to the porcelain godSee also: enamel, god, pray

pray

pray

pray

pray

pray

pray

pray

pray

pray

pray

pray tell

pray for

pray over (something)

pray to (someone or something)

pray to the enamel god

pray to the porcelain god

the family that prays together stays together

family that prays together stays together

pray for someone or something

pray over something

pray to someone or something

pray to the porcelain god

pray to the porcelain god

pray to the enamel god

pray

pray

PRAY

pray

Synonyms for pray

verb say your prayers

Synonyms

verb beg

Synonyms

Synonyms for pray

verb to offer a reverent petition to God or a god

Synonyms

verb to make an earnest or urgent request

Synonyms

Synonyms for pray

verb address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship

Related Words

verb call upon in supplication

Synonyms

Related Words