pray

pray  (pr)

v. prayed, pray·ing, prays

v.intr.

1. To utter or address a prayer or prayers to God, a god, or another object of worship.

2. To make a fervent request or entreaty.

v.tr.

1. To utter or say a prayer or prayers to; address by prayer.

2. To ask (someone) imploringly; beseech. Now often used elliptically for I pray you to introduce a request or entreaty: Pray be careful.

3. To make a devout or earnest request for: I pray your permission to speak.

4. To move or bring by prayer or entreaty.

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

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pray [preɪ]

vb

1. (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

interj

Archaic I beg you; please pray, leave us alone

[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]

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, implore crave - plead or ask for earnestly supplicate - 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"

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pray

verb

1. 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]

Translations

pray [preɪ]

A. VI (= say prayers) → rezar, orar
let us pray → oremos
to pray to God → rogar a Dios
to pray for sth/sb → rezar or rogar por algo/algn
to pray for sb's soul → rezar por el alma de algn
we prayed for rain → rezamos para que lloviera
she's past praying for! → ¡con ella ya no hay nada que hacer!, ¡no tiene salvación!

B. VT → rogar, suplicar
let me go, I pray you! (liter) → ¡suélteme, se lo suplico!
to pray sb to do sth → rogar a algn que haga algo
we pray that it won't happen → rezamos para que no ocurra
I was praying that he wouldn't notice → le pedía a Dios que no lo notara

C. EXCL pray be seated (frm) → siéntense, por favor
pray tell me (frm) → le ruego decirme ...
and what, pray, were you doing last night? (hum) → ¿y qué estabas tú haciendo anoche, si puede saberse?

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pray [ˈpreɪ] vi

(RELIGION) → prier
to pray to God → prier Dieu
to pray for sth → prier pour qch
to pray (that) ... → prier pour que ...

(= hope) → prier
to pray for sth → prier pour qch
to pray (that) ... → prier pour que ...
I pray that she'll never find out → Je prie pour qu'elle ne découvre jamais la vérité.
to hope and pray (that) ...
I just hope and pray everything goes well → Je me contente d'espérer et de prier pour que tout se passe bien.

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pray

vi

(= say prayers) → beten; let us pray → lasset uns beten; to pray for somebody/something → für jdn/um etw beten; to pray for something (= want it badly) → stark auf etw (acc) → hoffen

(old, liter) pray take a seat → bitte, nehmen Sie doch Platz, wollen Sie bitte Platz nehmen?; what good is that, pray (tell)? → was hilft das, wenn ich mir die Frage gestatten darf?

vt (old, liter) → inständig bitten, ersuchen (geh); I pray you tell me (old) → bitte, erzählen Sie mir doch; (stronger) → ich bitte Sie inständig, erzählen Sie mir doch; and what is that, I pray you? → und was ist das, wenn ich mir die Frage gestatten darf?; they prayed the king for mercy → sie flehten den König um Gnade an (geh)

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pray [preɪ] vi (say prayers) → pregare
to pray to God → pregare Dio
to pray for sb/sth → pregare per qn/qc
to pray for forgiveness → implorare il perdono
we are praying for good weather → preghiamo che faccia bello

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pray

v pray [prei]

1 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. bid يُصَلّي моля се modlit se bede beten προσεύχομαι rezar, orar palvetama نیایش کردن؛ استدعا کردن rukoilla prier לְהִתפַּלֵל प्रार्थना करना moliti se imádkozik berdoa biðja, fara með bæn pregare 祈る 기도하다 melstis, poteriauti izteikt/skaitīt lūgšanu berdoa; bersembahyang bidden be modlić się orar a (se) ruga молиться modliť sa moliti moliti se be, bönfalla สวดมนต์ dua etmek 祈禱 молитися دعا کرنا cầu nguyện 祈祷

2 to hope earnestly Everybody is praying for rain. bid, hoop op يَتَضَرَّع، يَبْتَهِل моля се orodovat bede beten παρακαλώ, ελπίζω rezar por, rogar lootma سخت امیدوار بودن toivoa prier (pour) לְהִתפַּלֵל आशा करना usrdno moliti könyörög mengharapkan vona innilega supplicare, implorare 願う 간절히 원하다 melsti, maldauti ļoti lūgt; ļoti cerēt berdoa hopen håpe på modlić się rezar a se ruga să/pentru молить orodovať moliti moliti se be ภาวนา dilemek 懇求 молитися آس باندھنا cầu xin 恳求

n prayer

(an) act of praying a book of prayer; The child said his prayers; My prayers have been answered (=I've got what I desired). gebede صَلاه молитва modlitba bøn das Gebet προσευχή oración, rezo palve نیایش؛ حاجت rukous prière תְּפִילָה प्रार्थना molitva,zaklinjanje ima doa bæn preghiera 기도 malda, poteriai lūgšana; lūgums doa; sembahyang gebed bønn modlitwa oração rugăciune молитва modlitba molitev, prošnja molitva bön การสวดมนต์ dua 祈禱 молитва دعا، عبادت lời cầu nguyện 祈祷

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

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pray → يُصَلْي modlit (se) bede beten προσεύχομαι rezar rukoilla prier moliti pregare 祈る 기도하다 bidden be pomodlić się rezar молиться be สวดมนต์ dua etmek cầu nguyện 祈祷