prayer

prayer — noun

1. spoken or silent words used when a person turns to God for thanks, help, or comf

1.nounB1
Definition

spoken or silent words used when a person turns to God for thanks, help, or comfort.

Example

Mina whispered a prayer before the doctor entered her father's room.

whisper a prayer before [event]

The children learned a short prayer to say before dinner each night.

fixed prayer before meals

Common collocations
  • say a prayer
  • whisper a prayer
  • a prayer for peace
  • a prayer of thanks
  • short prayer
Synonyms
  • supplication

    more formal and stresses a very earnest request for help

  • blessing

    narrower; often gives thanks or asks for care in a special moment such as a meal

  • invocation

    formal word for words calling on God, often at the opening of an event

Grammar Patterns

say a prayer

a prayer for [person/thing]

a prayer of thanks

Usage Note

Often used with verbs like 'say', 'whisper', and 'hear', and with 'for' when naming the person or thing being prayed for.

Common Mistakes

The family met for a prayer every Wednesday evening.
The family met for prayer every Wednesday evening.
when you mean the activity or service, 'prayer' is usually uncountable; 'a prayer' is one set of words.

2. the practice of praying, either alone or as part of a religious gathering.

2.nounB2
Definition

the practice of praying, either alone or as part of a religious gathering.

Example

The hall stays open all day for prayer and quiet reading.

for prayer

Hundreds gathered for evening prayer after the earthquake.

evening prayer for a service

Common collocations
  • in prayer
  • during prayer
  • gather for prayer
  • return to prayer
  • evening prayer
Synonyms
  • worship

    broader and includes singing, reading, and other religious acts, not only prayer

  • devotion

    can mean regular religious practice and often sounds slightly more formal

  • service

    focuses on the organized meeting, not only the praying within it

Grammar Patterns

for prayer

during prayer

turn to prayer

Usage Note

Usually uncountable in phrases like 'in prayer', 'during prayer', and 'turn to prayer'. Use sense 1 for one specific text or set of words.

Common Mistakes

She wrote a beautiful prayer before bed, and it helped her sleep.
She prayed before bed, and it helped her sleep.
this sense is the activity itself, not a written text.

3. a deeply desired result, or an urgent request for it, in a difficult situation.

3.nounC1
Definition

a deeply desired result, or an urgent request for it, in a difficult situation.

Example

Peace was every parent's prayer after months of war.

figurative use: somebody's prayer

The villagers' prayer was for clean water before the next dry season.

Common collocations
  • every parent's prayer
  • main prayer
  • only prayer
  • prayer for peace
  • answer somebody's prayer
Synonyms
  • wish

    weaker and more general; not usually as serious or urgent

  • hope

    broader everyday word for wanting something good to happen

  • plea

    focuses on urgently asking a person or authority, not the hoped-for result itself

Grammar Patterns

somebody's prayer

a prayer for [result]

answer somebody's prayer

Usage Note

Common in literary or emotional writing, especially when people are facing danger, loss, or great need. Distinguish from sense 2: here 'prayer' means the hoped-for result, not the act of praying.

Common Mistakes

My prayer is to visit Japan next spring.
My wish is to visit Japan next spring.
this figurative sense is usually used for serious needs or strong emotional hopes, not ordinary plans.
Idioms

on a wing and a prayer

idiom

Trying to do something with almost no chance of success.

The team finished the project on a wing and a prayer.

Did they really launch the rocket on a wing and a prayer?

Word family

  • pray
    verbB1
  • prayerful
    adjectiveC1
  • prayerfully
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, 'prayer' is the broad everyday word for words addressed to God, whether they are spoken aloud or kept in the mind. A 'blessing' is narrower: it often asks for God's care or gives thanks, especially before a meal or at the close of a meeting. A 'hymn' is sung, not simply said, so it belongs to music in worship. 'Supplication' is formal and stresses a very earnest request for help, mercy, or relief. In most learner situations, 'prayer' is the safest choice, while the other words add a special tone or form. You can say, 'Before the exam, Nina said a prayer,' but 'Before lunch, Grandpa gave a blessing,' and 'The church sang a hymn after the reading.'

prayer ↗blessing ↗hymn ↗supplication

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Prayer came into English in the Middle English period from Old French 'preiere', based on Medieval Latin 'precaria', meaning a request made with urgency, from Latin 'precari', 'to beg or ask earnestly'. The older idea is not only speaking to God, but making a serious request. That is why English still uses 'prayer' both for religious words said to God and, in a wider figurative sense, for a deeply hoped-for wish.