Pray vs. Prey – What’s the Gist?
Besides sounding alike, these two homophones have very little in common. Pray is an action while prey is an object.
- Pray is a verb.
- Prey primarily functions as a noun.
The first one you offer in a house of worship. The second term you want to avoid becoming.
How to Use Pray in a Sentence
Pray definition: The word pray functions as an intransitive verb (meaning there is no direct object). To pray means to make a request in a humble manner or to address God with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving.
For example:
- Before everyone started eating, she prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. (Past Tense Verb)
- During the illness of his wife, he prayed for a miracle. (Past Tense Verb)
- At the church worship service, the congregation prayed with sincere and contrite hearts. (Past Tense Verb)
How to Use Prey in a Sentence
Prey definition: On the other hand, the word prey functions in two different senses. It acts as a noun and as an intransitive verb.
As a noun, prey is an animal that is taken for food; or one that is helpless or unable to resist attack. In other words, it is something or someone that is a victim.
For example:
- The lion spotted his prey lying in the grass. (Noun)
- Smaller birds become prey for hawks. (Noun)
- The robber was looking for easy prey. (Noun)
The intransitive verb for prey reflects the idea to seize or devour prey; to commit violence, robbery, or fraud; or to have an injurious, destructive or wasting effect.
For example:
- The lion preyed on the helpless wildebeest resting on the grassy plains. (Past Tense Verb)
- Eying the elderly woman in the parking lot, the man preyed on her vulnerability by knocking her down, grabbing her purse, and running away. (Past Tense Verb)
- The anxiety of not meeting the monthly expenses preyed on the single mother’s mind. (Past Tense Verb)
Prey can function as two different parts of speech: a noun or a verb.
Outside Examples of Pray vs. Prey
- Her message continued: “Our prayers and thoughts go out to the individuals that were harmed or in any way negatively impacted. We are aware that this matter is being actively investigated by law enforcement and we are cooperating with law enforcement to bring to justice those involved.” –The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- “Words cannot express our pain and sorrow,” said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo. “First and foremost, our deepest condolences to the Forney family. The Navy Football Brotherhood is not a team, we are a family. We are devastated to have lost one of our brothers. We all loved — and will always love — David. We pray for strength during this most difficult time.” –The New York Post
- “For large raptors, you can definitely get that, where because of an explosion in rodents, rodent-eating hawks and owls become noticeably more abundant one year to the next. It is that rapid increase/decrease of their rodent prey that drives the irruption years of snowy owls.” –The Chicago Sun-Times
- “When I have kids, I’m never going fall into that trap. My parenting style will be perfect, organic and thoughtful. My children won’t fall prey to holiday marketing. They’ll be happy with whatever they get. I’ll never chase the It Toy.” –The Wall Street Journal
Phrases That Use Pray and Prey
There are several idioms that use the word pray or prey, including:
Pray tell: To explain something to someone
- When the girl told her friend about an acquaintance’s engagement, the friend exclaimed, “Pray tell! I want the whole scoop.”
Pray to the porcelain god: This is a facetious expression where someone finds himself on his knees vomiting into the toilet, usually by self-inflicted means.
- After a night of raucous partying, the fraternity brother found himself praying to the porcelain god.
Fall prey to: Being vulnerable to or being duped by someone.
- The senior citizen fell prey to a phone scam.
Prey on (one’s) mind: To cause worry, anxiety, or concern.
- The growing cases of the contagious virus preyed on her mind at night.
How to Remember These Words
This homophonic pairing has the potential of tripping you up, but there are two ways to help you keep these words straight.
First, look at the letters r a y found at the end of pray. They spell ray and often praying helps one to find that ray of hope or sunshine.
Secondly, the letter e in prey corresponds to the letter e in eaten. Prey often finds itself being caught only to be eaten.
For example:
- At this dark and desperate moment, praying gave him a ray of hope.
- The lion’s prey was eaten moments after being caught.
Article Summary
Is pray or prey correct? Because pray and prey sound alike, you might be temporarily puzzled as which one to use. If you need a verb to offer supplication, choose the word pray. If you need a noun or intransitive verb to suggest food or vulnerability, pick prey.
Also, it might be a good idea to pray not to become someone’s prey.
- Pray is either a transitive or intransitive verb.
- Prey is both a noun and a verb.