Pry
/praɪ/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo inquire or be inquisitive about someone's personal or private affairs.
/praɪ/
To inquire too closely into a person's private affairs.
She didn't want to pry, but she was curious about his past.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're at a friend's house, and they are talking about a secret. You want to know about it so you start asking all sorts of questions. That's prying!
👶 For kids: To ask too many questions about someone's secrets.
More Examples
Stop prying into my personal business!
The journalist was accused of prying into the celebrity's family life.
How It's Used
"It's rude to pry into someone's personal life."
To use a lever to force something open or apart.
/praɪ/
To use force to open or move something.
He used the screwdriver to pry the lid off the paint can.
💡 Simply: Imagine a box that's stuck. You use a tool to open it by lifting or forcing it. That's prying!
👶 For kids: To use a tool to open something that is stuck.
More Examples
The mechanic pried off the car's hubcap.
With the crowbar, she pried the window open.
How It's Used
"He used a crowbar to pry open the crate."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
pry into something
To investigate or inquire into someone's personal affairs or private matters.
"She always prys into other people's relationships."
From Middle English prien, probably related to Old French pririer 'to peep.'
Historically, "pry" has been used in the same ways, both figuratively and literally, as it is today. Earlier usage of "pry" suggests that the word once had a sense that is now more closely associated with the word "peer" (as in "to pry into someone's private life").
Memory tip
Imagine a nosy person using a crowbar to "pry" open someone's secrets.