preach
- preach
- [[t]pri͟ːtʃ[/t]]
preaches, preaching, preached
1) VERB When a member of the clergy preaches a sermon, he or she gives a talk on a religious or moral subject during a religious service.
[V n] At High Mass the priest preached a sermon on the devil...
[V to n] The bishop preached to a crowd of several hundred local people...
He denounced the decision to invite his fellow archbishop to preach. [Also V against/on n]
2) VERB When people preach a belief or a course of action, they try to persuade other people to accept the belief or to take the course of action.
[V n] The Prime Minister said he was trying to preach peace and tolerance to his people...
[V that] Health experts are now preaching that even a little exercise is far better than none at all...
[V against/about n] For many years I have preached against war.
Syn:
3)
VERB (
disapproval) If someone gives you advice in a very serious, boring way, you can say that they
are preaching at you.
[V at n] `Don't preach at me,' he shouted.
4) PHRASE: Vs inflect If you say that someone practises what they preach, you mean that they behave in the way that they encourage other people to behave in.
He ought to practise what he preaches.
5) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone is preaching to the converted, you mean that they are wasting their time because they are trying to persuade people to think or believe in things that they already think or believe in.
English dictionary.
2008.
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Look at other dictionaries:
preach — preach·able; preach·er; preach·er·less; preach·er·ly; preach·er·ship; preach·ifi·ca·tion; preach·ify; preach·i·ly; preach·i·ness; preach·ment; un·preach; preach; preach·ing·ly; … English syllables
preach — [ pritʃ ] verb * 1. ) intransitive or transitive to talk about a religious subject at a religious meeting, especially in church: preach a sermon: The Reverend Hugh McKeag preached the sermon. preach to: That afternoon he preached to three… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
Preach — Preach, v. t. 1. To proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal religious harangue. [1913 Webster] That Cristes gospel truly wolde preche. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
preach — [pri:tʃ] v [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: prechier, from Late Latin praedicare, from Latin dicare to say publicly ] 1.) [I and T] to talk about a religious subject in a public place, especially in a church during a service preach to ▪… … Dictionary of contemporary English
preach´i|ly — preach|y «PREE chee», adjective, preach|i|er, preach|i|est. Informal. 1. inclined to preach: »Of the 1,400 odd books…many, of course, are teachy, preachy pills of moralism (Newsweek) … Useful english dictionary
preach|y — «PREE chee», adjective, preach|i|er, preach|i|est. Informal. 1. inclined to preach: »Of the 1,400 odd books…many, of course, are teachy, preachy pills of moralism (Newsweek) … Useful english dictionary
Preach — Preach, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Preached}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Preaching}.] [OE. prechen, OF. preechier, F. pr[^e]cher, fr. L. praedicare to cry in public, to proclaim; prae before + dicare to make known, dicere to say; or perhaps from (assumed) LL.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Preach — Preach, n. [Cf. F. pr[^e]che, fr. pr[^e]cher. See {Preach}, v.] A religious discourse. [Obs.] Hooker. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
preach — (v.) late O.E. predician, a loan word from Church Latin, reborrowed 12c. as preachen, from O.Fr. prechier (11c.), from L.L. predicare to proclaim publicly, announce (in Medieval Latin to preach ), from L. prae before (see PRE (Cf. pre )) + dicare … Etymology dictionary
preach — [v1] speak publicly about beliefs address, deliver, deliver sermon, evangelize, exhort, give sermon, homilize, inform, minister, mission, missionary, orate, prophesy, pulpiteer, sermonize, talk, teach; concepts 51,285,367 preach [v2] lecture,… … New thesaurus
preach — ► VERB 1) deliver a religious address to an assembled group of people. 2) earnestly advocate (a principle). 3) (preach at) give moral advice to (someone) in a self righteous way. DERIVATIVES preacher noun. ORIGIN Old French prechier, from Latin… … English terms dictionary
