pray
/preɪ
/verb [no object]
1Address a prayer to God or another deity: the whole family are praying for Michael...
- People pray to these deities because they have an adoration for the deity and have a feeling of awe about it.
- So my advice is: pray more, sin less and live the life that God is calling you to live.
- We can discharge this obligation by simply praying for him as we pray for our dear ones and our own very selves.
Synonyms
say one's prayers, be at prayer, make one's devotions;
offer a prayer/prayers, commune with
invoke, call on, implore, appeal to, entreat, beseech, beg, ask/request earnestly, plead, crave, petition, solicit, supplicate, importune
rare obsecrate
1.1Wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome or situation: after several days of rain, we were praying for sun [with clause]: I prayed that James wouldn’t notice...
- Meg watched as twenty girls held their breaths, hoping and praying for their name to be called.
- I consumed a truly scrumptious chilliburger and hoped, no prayed, that there would be a toilet or pub on the route.
- It was one of those situations when you prayed that everything would be alright but feared what could happen.
adverb formal or archaic
1Used as a preface to polite requests or instructions: ladies and gentlemen, pray be seated
1.1Used as a way of adding ironic or sarcastic emphasis to a question: and what, pray, was the purpose of that?
Origin
Middle English (in the sense 'ask earnestly'): from Old French preier, from late Latin precare, alteration of Latin precari 'entreat'.