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Glite Dictionary
to pry into

to pry into

8 7.2
Try to find out private things about someone in an annoying way
  • phrasal verb
  • /praɪ ˈɪntu/
  • Informal
translation icon : indagar en
  • How dare you pry into my private life.
  • pry into his life
  • pry into my personal
  • pry into the affairs

Like she would just like pry into celebrities lives like beyond words.

Examples

Synonyms

to spy
vsto pry into
132 4.4

To secretly watch someone to get information for a government or company

is more everyday intrusive curiosity rather than formal surveillance
to poke
vsto pry into
  • Informal
124 6.7

Try to find out about someone's private life

is narrower, stressing seeking private personal details annoyingly
to snoop
vsto pry into
89 5.7

To secretly look for someone's private information or watch them

is less secret and more openly intrusive and annoying
to pry
vsto pry into
66 5.3

Try to learn about someone's private life in an impolite way

is a personal search that feels annoying and intrusive
to nose
vsto pry into
  • Informal
17 7.7

To try to find out private things about someone by looking or asking

is aimed at finding private information in an annoying way
to poke one's nose into
vsto pry into
  • Informal
1 7.3

To try to take part in other people's business without being asked

is specifically about trying to find private personal information annoyingly
to pry into someone's business
vsto pry into
  • Informal
1 7.5

To try to find out private things about someone without their permission

is an annoying intrusion focused on personal matters
to prise
vsto pry into
  • UK
9.8

Try to find out private facts about someone without permission

is specifically about annoying attempts to obtain private facts

Antonyms

to mind one's own business
  • Informal
51 3.7

Stay out of other people's private matters and focus on your own

How Intrusive

to spy
132 4.4
to snoop
89 5.7
to pry into
  • Informal
8 7.2
to probe
  • Literature
35 5.1
to inquire
  • Formal
107 3.0
to ask
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

pry into infinitive
prying into present participle
pries into third person singular
pried into past
pried into past participle

Morphology

pry + into

The verb 'pry' already encodes intrusive inquiry, and the preposition 'into' simply marks the target of that action; together they transparently yield 'to try to find out private information about (someone)'. This verb + preposition composition is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Pry into comes from the image of someone using a tool to force open a box or door and reach inside. Because pry means to force something open and into shows going inside, the phrase now means 'to try to find out private information'.