PRAY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PRAY?

Need another word that means the same as “pray”? Find 20 synonyms and 30 related words for “pray” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Pray” are: beg, implore, say one's prayers, be at prayer, make one's devotions, invoke, call on, appeal to, entreat, beseech, ask earnestly, request earnestly, plead, crave, petition, solicit, supplicate, importune, please, if you please

Pray as a Verb

Definitions of "Pray" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pray” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Address a prayer to God or another deity.
• Address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer.
• Wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome or situation.
• Call upon in supplication; entreat.

Synonyms of "Pray" as a verb (18 Words)

appeal to	Take a court case to a higher court for review.
ask earnestly	Address a question to and expect an answer from.
be at prayer	Happen, occur, take place.
beg	Acquire food or money from someone by begging. A young woman was begging in the street.
beseech	Ask for or request earnestly. They beseeched him to stay.
call on	Challenge (somebody) to make good on a statement; charge with or censure for an offense.
crave	Have a craving, appetite, or great desire for. If only she had shown her daughter the love she craved.
entreat	Ask earnestly or anxiously for (something. His friends entreated him not to go.
implore	Beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something. Please don t talk that way Ellen implored.
importune	Harass (someone) persistently for or to do something. Reporters importuned him with pointed questions.
invoke	Call on (a deity or spirit) in prayer, as a witness, or for inspiration. She invoked an ancient law.
make one's devotions	Prepare for eating by applying heat.
petition	Write a petition for something to somebody request formally and in writing. The islanders petitioned the government to help them leave St Kilda.
plead	Make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts. She was pleading insanity.
request earnestly	Express the need or desire for; ask for.
say one's prayers	Express a supposition.
solicit	Make a solicitation or entreaty for something request urgently or persistently. Historians and critics are solicited for opinions by the auction houses.
supplicate	Ask or beg for something earnestly or humbly. The plutocracy supplicated to be made peers.

Usage Examples of "Pray" as a verb

• I prayed that James wouldn't notice.
• After several days of rain, we were praying for sun.
• Pray to the Lord.
• The whole family are praying for Michael.

Pray as an Adverb

Definitions of "Pray" as an adverb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pray” as an adverb can have the following definitions:

• Used as a way of adding ironic or sarcastic emphasis to a question.
• Used as a preface to polite requests or instructions.

Synonyms of "Pray" as an adverb (2 Words)

if you please	Used in polite request.
please	Used to agree politely to a request. Please please come home.

Usage Examples of "Pray" as an adverb

• Ladies and gentlemen, pray be seated.
• And what, pray, was the purpose of that?

Associations of "Pray" (30 Words)

appeal	The quality of being attractive or interesting. A public appeal to raise 120 000.
atheism	A lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.
atheist	A person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods. He is a committed atheist.
atheistic	Disbelieving or lacking belief in the existence of God. Some were preoccupied with God others were atheistic to the core.
beg	Acquire food or money from someone by begging. He begged their forgiveness.
beseech	Ask for or request earnestly. They beseeched him to stay.
cadge	Obtain or seek to obtain by cadging or wheedling. He cadged fivers off old school friends.
conjure	Cause (a spirit or ghost) to appear by means of a magic ritual. She had forgotten how to conjure up the image of her mother s face.
deist	A person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it.
entreaty	An earnest or humble request. An entreaty to stop the fighting.
gentile	(of a person) not belonging to one’s own religious community. Christians refer to themselves as gentiles.
heathen	Relating to heathens. A chance of salvation for the heathen.
heretic	A person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church.
heretical	Holding an opinion at odds with what is generally accepted. Heretical beliefs.
idolatry	Religious zeal; the willingness to serve God. We must not allow our idolatry of art to obscure issues of political significance.
implore	Beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something. He implored her to change her mind.
infidel	A person who has no religion or whose religion is not that of the majority. A crusade against infidels and heretics.
irreligious	Hostile or indifferent to religion. An irreligious man.
monotheism	The doctrine or belief that there is only one God.
pagan	Relating to pagans or their beliefs. A Muslim majority had to live in close proximity to large communities of Christians and pagans.
pantheon	All the gods of a people or religion collectively. The deities of the Hindu pantheon.
plea	A request made in an urgent and emotional manner. He made a dramatic plea for disarmament.
plead	Make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts. On trial for attempted murder she pleaded self defence.
please	Used in polite or emphatic acceptance of an offer. He arranged a fishing trip to please his son.
polytheism	The belief in or worship of more than one god. The polytheism of the ancient Near East.
prayer	The act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving. It is our prayer that the current progress on human rights will be sustained.
solicitation	The act of asking for or trying to obtain something from someone. People objected to receiving telephone solicitations.
suppliant	A person making a humble or earnest plea to someone in power or authority. Their faces were wary and suppliant.
supplicant	A person making a humble or earnest plea to someone in power or authority. A supplicant serf before an ill tempered monarch.
supplicate	Ask humbly (for something. Supplicate for permission.