PRAYING Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

praying

verb

present participle of pray

as in begging

to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner I pray you: tell me where they went

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of praying Keith Castello spends a lot of time praying about available real estate. — Tiffany Stanley, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 Fujimori said millions of Peruvians were praying for the pontiff’s recovery and awaiting further announcements from the Vatican. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 During the visit, the pair made history by praying together at the Sistine Chapel—the first public prayer between a British monarch and pope since Henry VIII split from Rome in 1534. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2026 Just a few years ago, this scene of Jewish worshippers praying openly and vocally atop Jerusalem’s holiest of holy sites – known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound – would have been unthinkable. — Ilan Ben Zion, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026 Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Italian media on Tuesday that Catholic clergy are all praying for the pope’s good health. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 Please join me and the people of the Holy Father's home diocese in praying for his swift and complete recovery. — Tara Molina, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026 The team’s brightest moment comes when Olivia realizes that Daisy has incorporated her unique personality traits, like praying repetitiously and loving the musical Annie. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 That officer, Wolle stressed, became the barrier between the gunman and the people praying inside. — Ariella Noveck, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for praying

Verb

Video on social media showed distressed shopkeepers begging young men to stop stealing their inventory—and those young men pushing them aside to grab shoes and food from their shelves.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
So your group chat has been begging you to host the next big viewing night, and your bank account is giving you side-eye.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of begging

Verb

Those hoping to challenge the highest court’s composition or jurisdiction may go about that in a few ways, such as by petitioning for term limits.

— Connor Greene, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Some vendors have been petitioning the FCC, noting that the ongoing memory shortage has forced them to modify existing routers with replacement components.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of petitioning

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prayers

praying

prays

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“Praying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/praying. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of praying

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