How do you use the word "pray" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "pray": We all knelt down to pray. Pray with all your heart.

Pray Meaning

/pɹeɪ/

Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

verbTo direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc.

verbTo humbly beg a person for aid or their time.

Sentence Examples

We all knelt down to pray.

Pray with all your heart.

I used to pray at the local mosque with my father and grandfather.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

beg

Antonyms:

None

CEFR Practice Quiz

Every evening, the family would ____ together before they ate dinner.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

She would ____ every evening before bed, giving thanks for the day and asking for guidance.

Word Origin & History

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- Proto-Italic *preks Latin prex Latin precārī Late Latin precāre Old French proiier Anglo-Norman preierbor. Middle English preien English pray Inherited from Middle English preien, borrowed from Anglo-Norman preier, from Old French proiier, from Late Latin precāre, from Latin precārī, from prex (“request, petition, prayer”), from Proto-Italic *preks, from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to request, ask”). Displaced native Old English gebiddan. Cognate via Indo-European of Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Compare deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"Pray to the small gods and hope that they may hear thee. Yet what mercy should the small gods have, who themselves made Death and Pain; or shall they restrain their old hound Time for thee?" — 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC:

"This can't happen. You can't die! You're the Emissary! [...] Captain, I know my beliefs make you uncomfortable around me sometimes, and that maybe that's why you keep me at arm's length. But I don't care about that right now, and I am going to pray, because I don't know what else to do." — 1995, David Mack & John J. Ordover, “Starship Down”, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, season 4, episode 7, spoken by Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor):

"The critically low level of rainfall in the second half of 2020 – approaching 50% year on year for November – led the religious affairs directorate to instruct imams and their congregations to pray for rain last month." — 2021 January 13, Bethan McKernan, “Turkey drought: Istanbul could run out of water in 45 days”, in The Guardian:

"I know not how to pray your patience." — 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

"They prayd him sit, and gave him for to feed Such homely what as serves the simple clowne, That doth despise the dainties of the towne[…]" — 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 7:

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