pray
/ˈpɹeɪ/
verb
Core
1.v.address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
“pray to the Lord”
2.v.call upon in supplication; entreat
“I beg you to stop!”
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pray and prey are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. pray means “address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer”. prey means “a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence”. pray is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈpɹeɪ/
1.v.address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
“pray to the Lord”
2.v.call upon in supplication; entreat
“I beg you to stop!”
/ˈpɹeɪ/
| pray | prey | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɹeɪ/ | /ˈpɹeɪ/ |
| Said | pray | pray |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 2 | 4 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | quarry, target, fair game |
Full entry for pray · Full entry for prey · More comparisons
1.n.a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
“he fell prey to muggers”
2.n.animal hunted or caught for food
3.v.profit from in an exploitatory manner
“He feeds on her insecurity”