different between pray vs prayerful

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English preien, from Anglo-Norman preier, from Old French preier, proier, (French prier), from Late Latin *prec?re, from Latin prec?r?, present active infinitive of precor, from prex, precis (“a prayer, a request”), from Proto-Indo-European *pre?- (“to ask, woo”). Cognate via Indo-European of Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Confer deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pr?, IPA^(key): /p?e?/
• Rhymes: -e?
• Homophone: prey

Verb

pray (third-person singular simple present prays, present participle praying, simple past and past participle prayed)

1. (religion) To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to God or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc.
2. To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
3. (obsolete) To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
4. To wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome.

5. (obsolete) To implore, to entreat, to request.

Derived terms

• prayer
• pray in aid
• pray to the porcelain god
• prithee

Related terms

• precarious

Translations

Etymology 2

Ellipsis of I pray you, I pray thee, whence also prithee.

Adverb

pray (not comparable)

1. (archaic or formal) Please; used to make a polite request
   • 1816, Jane Austen, Emma, Volume 1 Chapter 8

     "Pray, Mr. Knightley," said Emma, who had been smiling to herself through a great part of this speech, "how do you know that Mr. Martin did not speak yesterday?"

   • 1841, Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, Chapter 10

     Pray don’t ask me why, pray don’t be sorry, pray don’t be vexed with me!

   • 1845, Frederick Marryat, The Mission, Chapter XXI

     Well, Major, pray tell us your adventures, for you have frightened us dreadfully.

   • 1892, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb

     Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your most interesting statement.

2. Alternative form of pray tell (“I ask you (insincerely)”)
   • 2013, Martina Hyde, Is the pope Catholic? (in The Guardian, 20 September 2013)[1]

     He is a South American, so perhaps revolutionary spirit courses through Francis's veins. But what, pray, does the Catholic church want with doubt?

Middle English

Verb

pray

1. Alternative form of preie

English

Etymology

From prayer +? -ful.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?p???f?l/

Adjective

prayerful (comparative more prayerful, superlative most prayerful)

1. That prays frequently; characterised by prayer, devout, reverent. [from 17th c.]
   • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin 2010, p. 207:

     His extrovert craziness is an interesting counterpoint or safety valve to the ethos of prayerful silence and traditional solemnity which is so much part of Orthodox identity.

Translations