How do you use "preach"?

Often used with the preposition 'to' for the audience or 'about' for the topic. Frequently used with the preposition 'at' to indicate the target of the unwanted advice.

preach — meaning, definition & examples

Q: What does "preach" mean?

1. (religious sermon) to give a talk about religion or morals, usually in a church. 2. (to advise earnestly) to strongly recommend a way of behaving or a set of beliefs. 3. (unwanted advice) to give advice in a way that is annoying or makes you feel like you are being judged.

Word

01religious sermon

B2 · Upper Intermediate Religion

v. to give a talk about religion or morals, usually in a church.

v. to deliver a sermon or religious discourse during a service or public gathering.

“The priest began to preach about the importance of helping others.”

“The visiting minister was invited to preach at the cathedral, delivering a powerful message on social justice to the packed congregation.”

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'to' for the audience or 'about' for the topic.

Synonyms

sermonizeevangelize

02to advise earnestly

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to strongly recommend a way of behaving or a set of beliefs.

v. to advocate or recommend a particular quality, practice, or belief with great earnestness.

“My parents always preached the value of hard work and honesty.”

“While the company leaders preach environmental sustainability in their public statements, their internal policies tell a different story.”

Synonyms

advocate urge promote

03unwanted advice

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to give advice in a way that is annoying or makes you feel like you are being judged.

v. to offer moral advice or criticism in an obtrusive, self-righteous, or tedious manner.

“I know I should exercise more, so please don't preach at me.”

“He had a tendency to preach at his colleagues whenever they disagreed with his lifestyle choices, which eventually alienated him from the team.”

Usage

Frequently used with the preposition 'at' to indicate the target of the unwanted advice.

Synonyms

lecturemoralize

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “preach” in context.

Verb

01. preach and practice

“If you want to be a credible leader, you must preach and practice the same set of values.”

verb + and + verb

02. preach the gospel

“The missionaries traveled to remote villages to preach the gospel to the local inhabitants.”

verb + noun

03. preach to the converted

“Advocating for renewable energy at an environmental rally is really just preaching to the converted.”

verb + prep + noun

Adverb

04. constantly preach about discipline

“Our coach would constantly preach about discipline, even when we were winning every game.”

adv + verb + prep + noun

05. effectively preach the virtues of patience

“The mentor managed to effectively preach the virtues of patience to his impulsive students.”

adv + verb + noun + prep + noun

06. passionately preach tolerance

“The activist used her platform to passionately preach tolerance and understanding in the community.”

adv + verb + noun

“Like the good son of the manse he is, Brown personally practises what he preaches in Kirkcaldy, where he is heavily engaged with local charities.”

The Guardian 31 Aug 2026

“Dooley preaches qualifying for the Asian Cup (the Bangladesh men only have once in their history) or the World Cup is a process, but in the same breath he says “it can go fast”.”

The Guardian 25 Aug 2026

From Middle English prechen, from Old French prëechier, precchier (Modern French prêcher), from Latin praedicō (“to proclaim, announce”, literally “to fore-assign, pre-dedicate”). Doublet of predicate. The Latin word is also the source of Old English predician (“to preach”), Saterland Frisian preetje (“to preach”), West Frisian preekje (“to preach”), Dutch preken (“to preach”), German Low German preken (“to preach”), German predigen (“to preach”), Danish prædike (“to preach”), Swedish predika (“to preach”), Icelandic prédika (“to preach”), Norwegian Nynorsk preika (“to preach”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

preach(C1)

NOUN

Preacher(B2)

preaching(B2)