Meaning of "pray" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PRAY

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.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF PRAY

pray  [preɪ]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PRAY

Pray is a verb and can also act as an exclamation.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb pray in English.

Exclamation is an expression or voice that reflects an emotion or exaltation.

WHAT DOES PRAY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Pray

Pray may refer to: ▪ Prayer, an active effort to communicate with a deity or spirit Pray may also refer to...

Definition of pray in the English dictionary

The first definition of pray in the dictionary is when intr, often foll by for; when tr, usually takes a clause as object to utter prayers. Other definition of pray is to make an earnest entreaty ; beg or implore. Pray is also to accomplish or bring by praying.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO PRAY

PRESENT

Present

I pray

you pray

he/she/it prays

we pray

you pray

they pray

Present continuous

I am praying

you are praying

he/she/it is praying

we are praying

you are praying

they are praying

Present perfect

I have prayed

you have prayed

he/she/it has prayed

we have prayed

you have prayed

they have prayed

Present perfect continuous

I have been praying

you have been praying

he/she/it has been praying

we have been praying

you have been praying

they have been praying

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I prayed

you prayed

he/she/it prayed

we prayed

you prayed

they prayed

Past continuous

I was praying

you were praying

he/she/it was praying

we were praying

you were praying

they were praying

Past perfect

I had prayed

you had prayed

he/she/it had prayed

we had prayed

you had prayed

they had prayed

Past perfect continuous

I had been praying

you had been praying

he/she/it had been praying

we had been praying

you had been praying

they had been praying

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will pray

you will pray

he/she/it will pray

we will pray

you will pray

they will pray

Future continuous

I will be praying

you will be praying

he/she/it will be praying

we will be praying

you will be praying

they will be praying

Future perfect

I will have prayed

you will have prayed

he/she/it will have prayed

we will have prayed

you will have prayed

they will have prayed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been praying

you will have been praying

he/she/it will have been praying

we will have been praying

you will have been praying

they will have been praying

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would pray

you would pray

he/she/it would pray

we would pray

you would pray

they would pray

Conditional continuous

I would be praying

you would be praying

he/she/it would be praying

we would be praying

you would be praying

they would be praying

Conditional perfect

I would have pray

you would have pray

he/she/it would have pray

we would have pray

you would have pray

they would have pray

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been praying

you would have been praying

he/she/it would have been praying

we would have been praying

you would have been praying

they would have been praying

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you pray
we let´s pray
you pray

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to pray

Past participle

prayed

Present Participle

praying

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «PRAY»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «pray» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of pray

adjure · ask · beg · beseech · crave · cry · entreat · implore · importune · invoke · petition · plead · request · solicit · sue · supplicate · urge

TRANSLATION OF PRAY

Find out the translation of pray to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of pray from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «pray» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 祈祷
• Translator English - Spanish: rezar
• English: pray
• Translator English - Hindi: प्रार्थना
• Translator English - Arabic: يُصَلِّي
• Translator English - Russian: молиться
• Translator English - Portuguese: rezar
• Translator English - Bengali: প্রার্থনা করা
• Translator English - French: prier
• Translator English - Malay: Berdoa
• Translator English - German: beten
• Translator English - Japanese: 祈る
• Translator English - Korean: 기도하다
• Translator English - Javanese: Ndedonga
• Translator English - Vietnamese: cầu nguyện
• Translator English - Tamil: பிரார்த்தனை
• Translator English - Marathi: प्रार्थना करा
• Translator English - Turkish: dua etmek
• Translator English - Italian: pregare
• Translator English - Polish: pomodlić się
• Translator English - Ukrainian: молитися
• Translator English - Romanian: a se ruga
• Translator English - Greek: προσεύχομαι
• Translator English - Afrikaans: Bid
• Translator English - Swedish: be
• Translator English - Norwegian: be

10 QUOTES WITH «PRAY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word pray.

1

Jim Bakker

And God knows I needed to be forgiven. So I had to forgive everybody. And then God - as I read in the word, you're supposed to pray for your enemies. Try that one on.

2

Mark Batterson

I think faith is the small mustard seed of opportunities every day. For example, 'Am I going to love this person? Am I going to share my faith with this person? Am I going to pray that little prayer?' It really is a daily thing where you seize those little mustard seed opportunities and then see what God does.

3

Mark Batterson

Too often the word 'prayer' induces guilt because we don't do enough of it. After all, I've never met anyone who said they pray too much! All of us fall short. And we often feel like our prayers fall flat.

4

Cory Booker

No matter who you are, no matter what your color, creed, how you choose to pray or who you choose to love, that if you are an American - first generation or fifth - one who is willing to work hard, play by the rules and apply your God-given talents - that you should be able to find a job that pays the bills.

5

Edward McKendree Bounds

Men who pray are, in reality, the only religious men, and it takes a full-measured man to pray.

6

Eva Braun

I am so infinitely happy that he loves me so much, and I pray that it will always be like this. It won't be my fault if he ever stops loving me.

7

Phillips Brooks

I do not pray for a lighter load, but for a stronger back.

8

John Bunyan

When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words without heart.

9

Eric Burdon

Recording - once something's done, it's done, there's not much you can do about it. It's out there and you just have to pray to the gods.

10

Oswald Chambers

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PRAY»

Discover the use of pray in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to pray and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything

It's 3 a.m. and Elizabeth Gilbert is sobbing on the bathroom floor.

Elizabeth Gilbert, 2007

Beginning to Pray

Offers meditations on our relationship with God through prayer and tells how to find consolation, express thankfulness, and apprehend the presence of the Lord

Anthony Bloom, 1970

When God's People Pray: Six Sessions on the Transforming ...

This participant's guide accompanies a six-session small group DVD curriculum, in which award-winning author Jim Cymbala shows what the Holy Spirit can do when believers get serious about prayer and the Gospel.

Jim Cymbala, 2007

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across ...

Traces the author's decision to quit her job and travel the world for a year after suffering a midlife crisis and divorce, an endeavor that took her to three places in her quest to explore her own nature, experience fulfillment, and learn ...

Elizabeth Gilbert, 2006

A Better Way to Pray: If Your Prayer Life is Not Working, ...

Andrew Wommack uncovers the traditions and misconceptions in prayer that often bring more suffering than good!

Andrew Wommack, 2007

GW Pray the Scriptures Bible Hardcover

This first-of-its-kind Bible combines the full text of GOD'S WORD Translation with more than 4,500 prayers to pray alongside the Scriptures that inspired them.

Kevin Johnson, 2012

How to Pray

In this book, Floyd invites believers to join him in "Prayer 101," an introduction to a life-long journey of intimacy with God.

Ronnie Floyd, 1999

What It Means to Pray Through

Although little is known about Elizabeth Dabney's youth, she often said she learned the value of prayer from her mother, who always kept a family altar in their home.

Mother Elizabeth Juanita Dabney, 2012

A Simple Way to Pray

When asked by his barber and good friend, Peter Beskendorf, for some practical guidance on how to prepare oneself for prayer, Luther responded by writing this brief treatise, first published in the spring of 1535.

Martin Luther, 2000

Too Busy Not to Pray

Revised throughout and including a new introduction and new chapter on prayer and compassion for the world, this twentieth-anniversary edition of Too Busy Not to Pray calls both young and old to make prayer a priority, and broadens our ...

Bill Hybels, 2009

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PRAY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term pray is used in the context of the following news items.

Christians, Muslims Pray Together At The Chattanooga Mosque …

(AP) - A small group of Christians visited a mosque in Chattanooga to pray alongside Muslim worshippers. The guests who went to the Islamic ... «Huffington Post, Jul 15»

Pastor walks thousands of miles to pray for president

Art Robles, a pastor of Cross Ministries Church in Kerville, Texas, traveled through Chesterfield on Saturday on his way to D.C., to pray for ... «Progress Index, Jul 15»

Mothers pray for sons to return home

Pamela Cohen and Carly Black, the mothers of the boys who went missing Friday, spoke with WPBF 25 News. «WPBF West Palm Beach, Jul 15»

'Please, pray for peace'

“Pray for peace,” said the Rev. John Deng Ater, a 35-year-old Louisville man who was 8 years old when he became one of an estimated 20,000 ... «Hopkinsville Kentucky New Era, Jul 15»

Clerics Pray for Peace As Kikwete Graces Heroes Day

"The country is heading towards general election, we pray the Almighty God gives wisdom, patience, compassion and tolerance among all ... «AllAfrica.com, Jul 15»

CFPB Fines Predatory Student Lending Practices; Religious …

Synagogues and churches held prayer services for students as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Discover Bank $18.5 million ... «Bay Area Indymedia, Jul 15»

Religious leaders pray for victims of violence at Louisville temple

Sunday, a temple in Louisville, where Tibetan monks practice Buddhism, welcomed over 40 people to pray for the two victims and many more. «WLKY Louisville, Jul 15»

Faith & family column: What does it mean to pray for America?

Occasionally as you drive along the communities of the St. Croix River Valley you see signs that say, “Pray for our country” or “Pray for America. «Stillwater Gazette, Jul 15»

Please pray for Katrina Fernandez

Father, hear our prayer for Kat's complete healing in body, soul, and spirit. Give her caregivers grace, compassion, wisdom, counsel, ... «Patheos, Jul 15»

6000 pray to the beat of Christian rock

Revivals used to mean a charismatic preacher stirring up the brethren sitting under a tent. Billy Graham had his gospel choir, Oral Roberts, his ... «Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Jul 15»