prey
preɪ
Definition Synonyms Conjugation

Definition of prey - Reverso English Dictionary

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Verb

intr.
1.
animal huntinghunt and kill other animals for food
  • Lions prey on zebras in the wild.
hunt stalk
2.
emotioncause persistent worry or distress
  • The thought of the exam preyed on her mind.
plague torment
3.
exploitationRaretake advantage of others for personal gainRare
  • Scammers prey on the elderly for money.
exploit manipulate victimize

Noun

1.
wildlifeanimal hunted or caught for food
  • The lion chased its prey across the savannah.
game quarry victim
2.
victimizationvictim of exploitation or attack
  • Scammers often see the elderly as easy prey..
target victim
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Images of prey

  • prey: animal hunted or caught for food
    animal hunted or caught for food

Expressions with prey

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
person easily deceived or exploited
Scammers often target the elderly as easy prey.
hunt and eat another animal
Lions prey on zebras in the wild.
hunt and kill for food
Lions prey upon zebras and other herbivores in the wild..
suffer from or be controlled by something bad
She was a prey to anxiety before the exam.
be easily harmed or affected by something bad
She was prey to anxiety during exams.
occupy someone's thoughts persistently
The unsolved mystery preyed on his mind for years.

Origin of prey

Latin, praeda (booty)

Terms with prey included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
spider trap
web spun by spiders to catch prey
animal
to search for prey in groups
birds
large bird of prey with sharp eyesight and powerful flight
animal
bird of prey with sharp eyesight and curved beak
wildlife
large North American bird of prey with a white head
raptor
bird of prey with long wings and a hooked beak
animal
bird of prey with long wings and tail
owln.
night raptor
nocturnal bird of prey with large eyes and a flat face

Examples of prey in a sentence

  • Wolves often prey on deer during winter.
  • Worries about the future preyed on his thoughts.
  • The guilt preyed on her conscience.
  • Predators prey on the weak in the wild.
  • Fraudsters prey on people's fears during crises.
  • The eagle spotted its prey from high above.

View all translations of prey

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:chasser, proie, ...
  2. German:jagen, Beute, ...
  3. Italian:predare, preda, ...
  4. Spanish:cazar, presa, ...
  5. Portuguese:caçar, presa, ...
  6. Chinese:捕食, 猎物, ...
  7. Japanese:狩る, 獲物, ...
  8. Arabic:افْتَرَسَ, فَرِيسَة, ...
  9. Hebrew:לִטְרוֹף, טֶרֶף, ...
  10. Russian:охотиться, добыча, ...
  11. Ukrainian:полювати, здобич, ...
  12. Hindi:शिकार करना, शिकार, ...
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