preach
- preach
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 thousand people.
preach about/against: People flocked to hear him preach about Jesus.
2. ) intransitive to give people advice or tell them how to behave, in a way that annoys them: LECTURE:
I don't mean to preach, but I think it's time to get serious about your relationship.
3. ) transitive to express a strong opinion and try to persuade other people to accept it:
Both my parents have always preached tolerance and moderation.
preach the values/virtues/evils of something: He preaches the virtues of hard work.
preach the gospel
1. ) to tell people about Jesus
2. ) to try to persuade people to accept something that you believe in very strongly:
They preach the gospel that inequality is neither right nor inevitable.
preach to the choir
to talk to people to try to persuade them to accept opinions and beliefs that they already have
=> PRACTICE 2
Usage of the words and phrases in modern English.
2013.
:
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 — 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
