Meanings
interjection
- archaicPlease explain (something the requester does not yet understand).
Pray tell us, how will they fare while you are away?
Synonyms: do tell
- idiomaticsarcasticusuallyExpressing incredulity, please explain (some claim or position the speaker doubts).
But how, pray tell, do you "notice" something that happens when you're asleep?
Synonyms & antonyms
interjectionPlease explain (something the requester does not yet understand).
Similar
Also see
Origin
From pray (“ask (politely)”) + tell (“explain”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
pray tell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pray%20tell
MLA
“pray tell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pray%20tell. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pray tell,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pray%20tell.
Source: pray tell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.