Prey (Verb)
Meaning 1
Prey on or hunt for; "These mammals predate certain eggs".
Classification
Verbs of eating and drinking.
Examples
- Birds of prey circle in the sky searching for small rodents to hunt.
- Hawks predate endangered species of fish in the region.
- Some spiders predate on various types of small arachnids and insects.
- Most types of snails predate on certain types of algae.
- Certain large-sized fish predate the various types of zooplankton in the ocean.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Profit from in an exploitatory manner; "He feeds on her insecurity".
Classification
Verbs of eating and drinking.
Examples
- The tabloids prey on celebrities' personal lives to sell more copies of their magazines.
- Unscrupulous companies prey on vulnerable consumers by selling them overpriced insurance policies.
- The cyberbully preys on his victim's fear of being alone in the online community.
- Loan sharks prey on people who desperately need quick cash but have no other options.
- He preys on her lack of self-confidence to control her decisions and actions.