pray – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of pray

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to pray
Participle: prayed
Gerund: praying

Cognates

See the 4 cognates of pray

Indicative

Present

Ipray
youpray
he;she;itprays
wepray
youpray
theypray

Perfect

Ihave prayed
youhave prayed
he;she;ithas prayed
wehave prayed
youhave prayed
theyhave prayed

Past

Iprayed
youprayed
he;she;itprayed
weprayed
youprayed
theyprayed

Pluperfect

Ihad prayed
youhad prayed
he;she;ithad prayed
wehad prayed
youhad prayed
theyhad prayed

Future

Iwill pray
youwill pray
he;she;itwill pray
wewill pray
youwill pray
theywill pray

Future Perfect

Iwill have prayed
youwill have prayed
he;she;itwill have prayed
wewill have prayed
youwill have prayed
theywill have prayed

Subjunctive

Present

Ipray
youpray
he;she;itpray
wepray
youpray
theypray

Perfect

Ihave prayed
youhave prayed
he;she;ithave prayed
wehave prayed
youhave prayed
theyhave prayed

Imperfect

Iprayed
youprayed
he;she;itprayed
weprayed
youprayed
theyprayed

Pluperfect

Ihad prayed
youhad prayed
he;she;ithad prayed
wehad prayed
youhad prayed
theyhad prayed

Conditional

Present

Iwould pray
youwould pray
he;she;itwould pray
wewould pray
youwould pray
theywould pray

Perfect

Iwould have prayed
youwould have prayed
he;she;itwould have prayed
wewould have prayed
youwould have prayed
theywould have prayed

Imperative

youpray
weLet's pray
youpray

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam praying
youare praying
he;she;itis praying
weare praying
youare praying
theyare praying

Perfect

Ihave been praying
youhave been praying
he;she;ithas been praying
wehave been praying
youhave been praying
theyhave been praying

Past

Iwas praying
youwere praying
he;she;itwas praying
wewere praying
youwere praying
theywere praying

Pluperfect

Ihad been praying
youhad been praying
he;she;ithad been praying
wehad been praying
youhad been praying
theyhad been praying

Future

Iwill be praying
youwill be praying
he;she;itwill be praying
wewill be praying
youwill be praying
theywill be praying

Future Perfect

Iwill have been praying
youwill have been praying
he;she;itwill have been praying
wewill have been praying
youwill have been praying
theywill have been praying

Conditional

Present

Iwould be praying
youwould be praying
he;she;itwould be praying
wewould be praying
youwould be praying
theywould be praying

Perfect

Iwould have been praying
youwould have been praying
he;she;itwould have been praying
wewould have been praying
youwould have been praying
theywould have been praying

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'pray'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'pray'

bray, fray, gray, pay, play, prey, pry, ray, spray, tray,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

petition
plead, beg, ask, adjure, beseech, entreat, implore, importune

Antonyms

petition
demand, command, requirement, exaction

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

1. c.1290, "ask earnestly, beg," also "pray to a god or saint," from O.Fr. preier (c.900), from L. precari "ask earnestly, beg," from *prex (plural preces, gen. precis) "prayer, request, entreaty," from PIE base *prek- "to ask, request, entreat" (cf. Skt. prasna-, Avestan frashna- "question;" O.C.S. prositi, Lith. prasyti "to ask, beg;" O.H.G. frahen, Ger. fragen, O.E. fricgan "to ask" a question). Prayer (c.1300) is from O.Fr. preiere, from V.L. *precaria, noun use of L. precaria, fem. of adj. precarius "obtained by prayer," from precari.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *preḱ-
4. Proto-Italic *preks
5. Latin prex
6. Latin precārī
7. Late Latin precāre
8. Old French proiier
9. Anglo-Norman preierbor.
10. Middle English preien
11. English pray
12. Inherited from Middle English preien, borrowed from Anglo-Norman preier, from Old French proiier, from Late Latin precāre, from Latin precārī, from prex (“request, petition, prayer”), from Proto-Italic *preks, from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to request, ask”). Displaced native Old English gebiddan.
13. Cognate via Indo-European of Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Compare deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

Verbs referencing "pray"

Swedish preja, Welsh rhegi, Russian просить.

Sample Sentences

  • “ Pray for ’ em ! ” said Aunt Chloe; “ Lor, it's too tough ! I can't pray for ’ em. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] lies there abandoned to despair. By degrees the insupportable solitude and barrenness of the place rouses him from this stupor, and when the trap in his grated door is opened, he humbly begs and prays for work. ‘Give me some work to do, or I shall go raving mad ! ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ I see, ” said Simeon, sighing; “ I pray it come not to that. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ I pray that I be not tried, ” said Simeon; “ the flesh is weak. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] a more excellent way; for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God; but it goes sorely against the corrupt will of man, and none can receive it save they to whom it is given. Let us pray the Lord that we be not tempted. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] in high spirits, evidently regarding the matter as a good joke, and laughing heartily at the rusticity of Tom's horror, who really was simple enough to lie awake most of the rest of the night, praying for his young master. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Where do you keep your nutmegs, Dinah ? ” said Miss Ophelia, with the air of one who prayed for patience. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] in England, and in this country. My mother used to tell me of a millennium that was coming, when Christ should reign, and all men should be free and happy. And she taught me, when I was a boy, to pray, ’ thy kingdom come. ’ Sometimes I think all this sighing, and groaning, and stirring among the dry bones foretells what she used to tell me was coming. But who may abide the day of His appearing ? ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ That is past praying for, ” said Augustine; “ educated they will be, and we have only to say how. Our system is educating them in barbarism and brutality. We are breaking all humanizing ties, and making them brute [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Well, of course, if you can look on the bright side, pray do; it's a mercy if people haven't sensitive feelings, in this world. I am sure I wish I didn't feel as I do; it only makes me completely wretched ! I wish I _could_ be as easy as the rest of you ! ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)