Meaning & use
prayer
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Meanings
nouncountablereligion
A request, thanks or other words directed to God or another holy being.
Grammar: A countable noun when it means one set of words: say a prayer, evening prayers.
Patterns
- a prayer for someone
- a prayer of thanks
- say a prayer
She said a quiet prayer before the surgery.
The family joined hands for a prayer before dinner.
The priest led the congregation in a prayer for peace.
noununcountablereligion
The act or habit of speaking to God or a holy being.
Grammar: Uncountable in this use, often with in or at: in prayer, at prayer.
Patterns
- in prayer
- at prayer
- kneel in prayer
The monks spend an hour in prayer each morning.
He found comfort in prayer after his loss.
The crowd bowed their heads in prayer.
nounsingularinformalfigurative
A very small chance of something happening, usually found in the phrase not a prayer.
Grammar: Used in the singular, mostly in the informal phrase not have a prayer.
Patterns
- not have a prayer
- have a prayer of doing something
Without a goalkeeper, our team doesn't have a prayer.
I don't have a prayer of finishing this by Friday.
The old car wouldn't stand a prayer on that mountain road.
Word forms
| plural | prayers |
|---|
Common combinations
- say a prayer
- Let's say a prayer for the sick.
- offer a prayer
- They offered a prayer of thanks.
- daily prayers
- Daily prayers begin at dawn.
- answered prayer
- The good news felt like an answered prayer.
- not have a prayer
- Our team does not have a prayer against the champions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plea
- Plea is an urgent request that may not be religious, while prayer is addressed to a divine being.
- supplication
- Supplication is a formal word for humble prayer or begging, and is less common in everyday talk.
- devotion
- Devotion is wider and covers religious practice in general, while prayer is the act of speaking to the deity.
- invocation
- Invocation is a formal call for help or blessing, often at the start of a ceremony.
Word family
- pray verb
- to speak to God or a holy being
- prayerful adjective
- showing or full of prayer
- prayerfully adverb
- in a way that expresses prayer
- prayerbook noun
- a book of prayers
Commonly confused: prayer or prey? prayer or pray?
prayer vs prey
Prey is an animal hunted for food, and it sounds like pray. Prayer is the act of speaking to God.
prayer vs pray
Pray is the verb, as in pray for rain. Prayer is the noun, as in say a prayer.
Practice
Which sentence uses prayer in its informal figurative sense?
Choose one answer.
Not have a prayer means to have almost no chance of success. The other sentences use the religious meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prayer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.