English, baby!

fall prey

Date: Sep 15 2004

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“I just laugh at people who are falling prey by shortening their lifespan by being unhappy and I think if you have to fall prey to that then I can learn from you, because you seem so unhappy and I just don’t want to do that to myself. If you care about the people enough then you should try to show them another way to be or to feel so that they don’t let their life go by unhappy. Some people you just can’t help and have to give up, but it’s worth trying with them.”
-Drew Barrymore in an interview, in response to a question about how she handles the cynicism in Los Angeles

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

to fall prey means to be a victim of something; to give in to something

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

In the animal world, there are such things as predators. These are animals that hunt other animals and try to eat them. In the human world, there are predators, too. These are people who try to take advantage of other people. They prey on people; they look for people to take advantage of. When you fall prey, you let this happen. You let yourself become the victim. You can fall prey to people or ideas or feelings.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””Don’t fall prey to used car salesmen. They only want your money and really don’t care about you.”“

””Be careful in New York. Don’t get lonely or fall prey to depression. It can be very hard to live there.”“

””It sucks to fall prey to dishonest people. You never think about those cons who try to trick you. Then one day, you become a victim of one of their tricks.”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

To fall prey is to be a victim.
by Jaya (Manila, Philippines)
If you fall prey to something or someone, then you believe what you are told when it’s not true. You become a victim of someone so that they can profit at your expense.
by Paulo (Campo Grande, MS, Brazil)
to become a victime
by emily (Qinhuangdao, China)
I guess “fall prey” means be upset or unhappy.
by Gang (Shenzhen, China)
FALL PREY probably means that a person make a wish to try to get sth which he/she would like to give something he/she owns to change for it. For example, to try to get his kid recovered, he would like the God to shorten his lifespan.
by Yunfang (Xi’an, China)
to be tortured by something, to be made miserable by unhappy things.
by yan (suzhou, china)
I think ‘fall prey’ means to be frustrated and discouraged in something and so become unhappy.
by Wenchang (Beijing, China)
tO SUFFER TOO MUCH AND UNNECESARILY BECAUSE OF SOMETHING SAID ABOUT YOU
by paola (PASTO, COLOMBIA)
I think that fall prey means, when you life your life so fast and you don’t care about if you are really living your life in a happy way or maybe you try to make an appearance that you are really fine with your life…
by Yarineth Hernández (Panamá, Panamá)
falling prey means be infuritated, be angery or be gloomy/depressed
by zhu (tne city of Xi’an, China)
“Fall prey” means be tired of the world and life. Those who have been hurt by something unhappy happened to them will easily fall prey and live in their personal sad world.
by Jessica (Kunshan, China)
when son one fall in love with son one who doies love him.
by mogaji umar (Lagos State, Nigeria)
to be harmed or affected by something bad
by Javad (tonekabon, iran)
someone has objection felling to another one and fight in many ways except in public.
by zhang (hangzhou , china)