To pry means to use force to open, move, or separate something that's stuck, closed, or tightly attached. When you pry open a wooden crate with a crowbar, you're wedging the tool into a crack and pushing or pulling to force the boards apart. You might pry up an old floorboard, pry the lid off a paint can, or pry apart two pieces of wood that have been glued together.

The word also means to be overly curious about someone else's private business. When you pry into someone's affairs, you're asking nosy questions they don't want to answer. If your friend seems upset but doesn't want to talk about it, constantly asking what's wrong might feel like prying. A prying person keeps digging for information even when it's clear they should respect someone's privacy.

Both meanings share the idea of forcing your way in where there's resistance: either physical resistance (like a sealed box) or social resistance (like someone's private thoughts). You can see this connection when someone says “I don't mean to pry, but...” before asking a personal question. They're acknowledging they might be pushing into territory where they're not entirely welcome.