What does preyed mean?
“Preyed” is the past tense and past participle of the verb “prey,” and it appears in two broad settings. Literally, it describes an animal or predator hunting and killing another animal for food: “The wolves preyed on the herd.” Figuratively, it describes people or forces that victimize, exploit, or take advantage of others: “Fraudsters preyed on vulnerable households.” The usual construction is “prey on” or “prey upon,” rather than a direct object, and the verb can carry a strongly negative moral judgment when used figuratively. Its imagery is vivid because hunting gives it a clear power relationship between hunter and hunted. “Preyed” is therefore useful in both concrete descriptions of predation and accounts of exploitation, manipulation, and harm. The form is ordinary in British and American English, while its literary sound and vivid associations make it especially effective in narrative, journalism, and environmental reporting.
verbPreyed is the past tense and past participle of prey. It means hunted or killed an animal for food and, figuratively, victimized, exploited, or took advantage of someone or something.
- To hunt or kill an animal or another creature for food.
- To victimize, exploit, or take advantage of someone or something.
"The wolves preyed on the deer as it crossed the open field."
"The wolves preyed on the deer as it crossed the open field."
"Scammers preyed on elderly people who had not checked their bank statements."
Preyed captures the uneasy moment when the hunter becomes the hunter—and the other creature becomes the prey.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does preyed come from?
Prey came into Middle English through Old French preier, ultimately from Latin praedari, meaning “to plunder” or “to seize as booty.” The English verb developed both its literal sense of hunting animals for food and its extended sense of victimizing or exploiting others. Related Latin-root words include predator, predation, and predatory, while preyed is the regular past-tense and past-participle form of prey.
Related word forms
How preyed is actually used
The verb is usually used with on or upon, as in “prey on” or “prey upon.” Its figurative use carries a distinctly negative moral judgment, especially when describing exploitation, manipulation, or predation against vulnerable people.
Easily confused with preyed
Preyed means hunted or victimized, whereas prayed means addressed a deity or made a solemn request.