Preyed

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /pɹeɪd/

Definitions

1. Was hunted or captured as food by a predator ; was harmed or exploited by taking advantage of weakness
2. Served as prey to an animal for nourishment ; suffered from being victimized or manipulated
3. Became the target of hunting by another creature ; endured abuse or unfair treatment through exploitation

Etymology: The past tense "preyed" comes from the verb "prey," which English took from Latin "praeda," meaning "plunder, booty, loot." The noun arrived in Middle English as "preye" through Anglo-Norman and Old French, where it was a variant of "proie," and it kept the sense of something seized. The verb developed separately: Middle English "praien" and "preyen" drew partly on the noun and partly on the Old French verb "praer," which had come from the Late Latin "praedō," a plunderer or robber. That history explains the two meanings. An animal that preys on another is treating it as loot, and a person who is victimized or manipulated is treated the same way. The noun "prede" is a doublet of "prey," meaning the two forms entered English along different routes and ended up as near relatives.

Synonyms: hunted, stalked, tracked, pursued, chased

Antonyms: protected, defended, rescued, safeguarded, shielded