pry

¹

[ prahy ]

verb (used without object)

, pried, pry·ing.

1. to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something:

   to pry into the personal affairs of others.

2. to look closely or curiously; peer; peep.

noun

, plural pries.

1. an impertinently inquisitive person.
2. an act of prying.

pry

²

[ prahy ]

verb (used with object)

, pried, pry·ing.

1. to move, raise, or open by leverage.
2. to get, separate, or ferret out with difficulty:

   to pry a secret out of someone;

   We finally pried them away from the TV.

noun

, plural pries.

1. a tool, as a crowbar, for raising, moving, or opening something by leverage.
2. the leverage exerted.

pry

¹

/ praɪ /

verb

1. introften foll byinto to make an impertinent or uninvited inquiry (about a private matter, topic, etc)

noun

1. the act of prying
2. a person who pries

pry

²

/ praɪ /

verb

1. to force open by levering
2. to extract or obtain with difficulty

   they had to pry the news out of him

Word History and Origins

Origin of pry¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English prien, “look about, peep”; further origin unknown

Origin of pry²

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from prize ³, taken as a plural noun or 3rd person singular verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pry¹

C14: of unknown origin

Origin of pry²

C14: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

This would help them pry open the rest of the code—but the work was never easy.

From National Geographic Kids

Yankee fans who grabbed Mookie Betts’ wrist while trying to pry the ball out of his glove have been banned from Game 5 of the World Series, the Yankees announced.

From Los Angeles Times

But as Betts tried to secure the ball, the fan in the road jersey — identified by the Athletic’s Brendan Kuty as Austin Capobianco, 38, of Connecticut — reached into Betts’ glove in an attempt to pry the ball loose.

From Los Angeles Times

“You can pry ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ from my cold, dead hands,” Ruffin said with a bright smile and one of the many giggles she unleashed during our long conversation.

From Salon

In Season 1, he’d attempted to pry an old woman from her home in hopes of putting a golf resort on the land and impressing his bosses; in the end, he advised her not to sign the papers, but the current season finds him unfortunately back on that horse, in a complete moral backsliding.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• extract
• pull
• wrest