{
    "term": "pray",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "pray",
            "heSheIt": "prays"
        },
        "pastSimple": "prayed",
        "pastParticiple": "prayed",
        "ingForm": "praying"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to speak to God, especially to give thanks or ask for help",
            "sensetop": "pray for somebody/somethingpray to somebody for somebody/somethingpray to somebodypray (that)…pray to do something+ speech",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They knelt down and prayed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'll pray for you.",
                    "contextForm": "pray for somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to pray for peace"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She prayed to God for an end to her sufferings.",
                    "contextForm": "pray to somebody for somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I prayed to the Lord and hoped for the best.",
                    "contextForm": "pray to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We prayed (that) she would recover from her illness.",
                    "contextForm": "pray (that)…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He prayed to be forgiven.",
                    "contextForm": "pray to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘Please God don't let it happen,’ she prayed.",
                    "contextForm": "+ speech"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She asked the priest to pray with her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He thought if he prayed hard enough God might eventually listen."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Diane prayed over the body for a moment."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I silently prayed for my release."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She prays constantly for forgiveness."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Religion and festivals"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["desperately", "earnestly", "fervently"],
                "preposition": ["for", "over", "to"],
                "phrases": ["hope and pray", "let us pray"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to hope very much that something will happen",
            "sensetop": "pray for somethingpray (that)…",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We're praying for good weather on Saturday.",
                    "contextForm": "pray for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I prayed that nobody would notice my mistake.",
                    "contextForm": "pray (that)…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She **hoped and prayed** that Jessie would be back the next day."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let's pray Mick doesn't find out."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was secretly praying that his offer would be rejected."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["desperately", "earnestly", "fervently"],
                "preposition": ["for", "over", "to"],
                "phrases": ["hope and pray", "let us pray"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪ/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/pray__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪz/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/prays__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪd/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/prayed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpreɪɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/praying__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪ/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/pray__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪz/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/prays__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪd/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/prayed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpreɪɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pr/pray/praying__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (in the sense ‘ask earnestly’): from Old French preier, from late Latin precare, alteration of Latin precari ‘entreat’."
}