to preach

Examples

• All

• We don't preach fire and brimstone.

  The Good Girl (2002)

• The speaker passionately preached about the importance of climate change action during the conference.

• And part of what I preach is to be prepared.

  Tom Ferry

• People say practice what you preach, but God, God put it in me.

• And This is why I always preach buy for cash flow and hope for capital gain.

• Because I practice what I preach and I do not reward bad behavior.

  Dr. Phil

• As much as I preach and speak, I'm still my father's child.

• Guys, and I can't preach this enough, the same goes for you.

• But also from my perspective, like I, I preach and I try to practice empathy a lot.

  Lex Fridman

• A man who betrays his culture should not preach about its customs.

  Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

Synonyms

P

to persuade

vsto preach

472 2.7

To make someone agree or do something by giving reasons

relies more on moral fervor and pleading than on reasoned persuasion

A

to advocate

vsto preach

343 3.7

To support a cause or policy in public

is often more passionate and moral in tone than neutral public support

P

to press

vsto preach

285 3.9

Ask someone firmly and repeatedly to do something

tends to present reasons and moral force rather than persistent pressure

A

to advocate for

vsto preach

69 3.9

Publicly support a cause, policy, or idea

uses moral pleading and fervor more than formal policy argumentation

E

to espouse

vsto preach

• Formal

52 7.8

To accept and support a belief, cause, or way of life

aims more at urging others to accept the cause rather than simply supporting it

E

to exhort

vsto preach

• Formal

16 7.7

To strongly encourage someone to do something

often argues broadly for a cause with moral passion rather than single actions

P

to pontificate

vsto preach

13 8.7

To speak in a self-important way as if always right

may be less pompous and more heartfelt, focusing on moral urging

P

to proselytize

vsto preach

• US

12 9.1

To try to persuade someone to join another religion

argues for a cause more generally rather than focused religious conversion

C

to crusade

vsto preach

8 6.8

To campaign strongly for a cause over a long time

is usually a single act of arguing rather than a long public campaign

P

to propagandize

vsto preach

• Literature

5 9.1

To try to make many people believe false or one-sided information

argues sincerely for a cause rather than using biased or deceptive methods

E

to evangelize

vsto preach

3 6.9

Try to persuade people to accept a belief, often a religious one

is broader, covering urging for many causes beyond religious conversion

S

to sermonize

vsto preach

2 8.0

To give advice about right and wrong for a long time in a boring way

focuses on arguing for a cause with moral conviction rather than long lectures

P

to preachify

vsto preach

• Informal

1 8.6

To speak in a long, moral way that makes people feel judged

is more about sincere urging or arguing, not just tedious moralizing

M

to missionize

vsto preach

8.6

To try to make people support an idea or cause, often in politics

is primarily about speaking in favor, not organized outreach campaigns

How Persuasive

to preach

192 3.8

to advocate

343 3.7

to argue

∞ 2.8

to propose

∞ 3.0

to suggest

∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

Etymology