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Glite Dictionary
to daven

to daven

1 9.9
Pray in the Jewish tradition, often using set prayers in a synagogue
  • verb
  • /ˈdævən/
  • Jargon
translation icon : rezar
  • Is Stuart davening Ne'ilah tomorrow at the minyan? 'Cause he always does.

Examples

  • We're davening with this group from the seminary.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I thought Stuart was davening.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • We're davening with a group from the seminary.

    The Believer (2001)

  • I'm davening.

    The Believer (2001)

  • Miriam, I'm davening....

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Every morning, Jewish people gather to daven at the synagogue for morning prayers.

  • It's customary to daven together on Shabbat and holidays to foster a sense of community.

  • Before the service began, the congregation started to daven while following the prayer book.

Synonyms

to pray
vsto daven
∞ 1.0

To speak to God or a saint to ask for help and say thanks

is a Jewish ritual of worship using set texts and performed in synagogues

How Devout

to daven
  • Jargon
1 9.9
to pray
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

daven infinitive
davened past
davened past participle
davening present participle
davens third person singular

Etymology

Daven comes from Yiddish davenen, which means 'to pray'. A helpful way to remember it is that it names the special Jewish prayers people say in a synagogue, so to daven is simply to pray in the Jewish tradition.