prayed

Prayed is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb pray in English. The primary meaning is to address a deity or spiritual being with supplication, adoration, gratitude, or a request for help or guidance. Prayed can describe private devotion or communal worship: for example, “She prayed for her family’s safety” or “They prayed together at dusk.” In secular usage, pray can also appear in more metaphorical or ironic contexts, such as “We prayed for a miracle,” though such uses remain tied to the sense of hoping or entreating.

Conjugation and pronunciation: Pray forms its past tense as prayed (pronounced /preɪd/). The present participle is praying, and the past participle is also prayed. The spelling includes the -ayed ending, not the homophone preyd or preyed, and it is distinct from the noun prey.

Etymology and related forms: The verb pray derives from Old French preier, from Latin precari “to entreat, beg.” Its cognates appear in various languages with similar meanings related to asking or devotion. The related noun prayer denotes the act or instance of praying.

Usage notes: In many religious traditions, to pray means addressing a deity directly, with language that may be spontaneous or scripted. In historical or narrative writing, prayed frequently conveys past actions of prayer, often reflecting cultural or religious contexts. The term remains primarily associated with spiritual or religious communication, though its rhetorical uses may extend to expressions of hope or earnest appeal.