pryverb
uk/praɪ/us/praɪ/pry verb (ASK QUESTIONS)
[ I ] disapproving to try to find out private facts about a person:
As a reporter, I was paid to pry into other people's lives.
I hope you don't think I'm prying, but has your boyfriend ever lived with anyone before?
She wanted a private holiday away from prying eyes (= where no one would be trying to see her).
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Questioning people & asking questions in general
- beat
- bombard
- canvass
- cross-question
- debrief
- desk research
- enquiry
- feel sb/sth out
- interrogate
- interview
- interviewee
- opinion poll
- pin
- Q, q
- questioner
- questioning
- roll call
- third
- what do you have to say for yourself? idiom
- worm
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pry verb (OPEN)
[ T ] mainly US to move or lift something by pressing a tool against a fixed point:
[ + adj ] The car trunk had been pried open and all her equipment was gone.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Raising and lowering
- elevate
- elevated
- erect
- go down
- hike sth up
- hoick
- hoist
- jack
- jack sth up
- lever
- leverage
- lower
- pick sb/sth up
- prick (sth) up
- put
- ride
- ride up
- run
- scoop sth/sb up
- winch
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