pray

verb

ˈprā How to pronounce pray (audio)
Definition of praynext
as in to beg
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner I pray you: tell me where they went

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pray The signage outside of Holy Name Cathedral asks people to pray for Pope Leo. — Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Worshipers sang, prayed and took communion during the hour before the commissioners meeting. — Rachel Royster. Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Italian media on Tuesday that Catholic clergy are all praying for the pope’s good health. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 The group stopped the show after just two songs as his bandmates asked fans to pray for him. — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pray
  1. beg
  2. petition
Verb
  • Therein, a young woman sits on her dead lover’s grave for a year, begging to see him again.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • With Blauvelt's killer still on the loose, her family begged for answers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of beg
Verb
  • The BoMar Club has received just under thirty thousand dollars from the opioid settlement, to fix its roof and bolster outreach efforts, and Coleman was petitioning the commission for more money to redo the floor, which sagged under our feet.
    — Oliver Whang, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The group already was living in New Mexico when a Georgia juvenile court issued a pickup order for the boy after his mother petitioned for emergency custody.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of petition

Browse Nearby Words

prattling
pray
prayed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pray. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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