preached; preaching; preaches
1
: to deliver a sermon
2
: to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action
specifically
: to exhort in an officious or tiresome manner
1
: to set forth in a sermon
preach the gospel
2
: to advocate earnestly
preached revolution
My mother always preached the value/virtue of a good education.
3
: to deliver (something, such as a sermon) publicly
4
: to bring, put, or affect by preaching
… preached the … Church out of debt …—
Amer. Guide Series: Va.
Amer. Guide Series: Va.
see also:
variants
or preachingly
: in a manner suiting a sermon or preachment
Examples of preach in a Sentence
Verb
Have you ever heard that minister preach?
The minister preached to the congregation about the need for tolerance.
His followers listened to him preach the gospel.
The priest preached a regular sermon that Sunday.
Their mother has always preached the value of a good education.
Practice what you preach—don't smoke if you tell your children not to smoke.
The mayor continues to preach about the need for patience.
I don't like being preached at about how I should live my life.
Recent Examples on the Web
ABC News, 20 June 2026
With no operation required, his recovery comes down to healing time and a specialist's sign-off rather than a procedure, which is why his camp is preaching patience.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
The league’s complaint against Texas Tech spends considerable energy preaching about the vices of college athletes betting on sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 17 June 2026
Musicians aren’t obligated to do anything political as part of the job, and plenty of audiences appreciate when artists don’t preach partisan points of view.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for preach
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
In April, Leo made a pilgrimage to Annaba, Algeria, modern-day Hippo, where Augustine lived, preached and died.
—ABC News, 20 June 2026
With no operation required, his recovery comes down to healing time and a specialist's sign-off rather than a procedure, which is why his camp is preaching patience.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
The league’s complaint against Texas Tech spends considerable energy preaching about the vices of college athletes betting on sports.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 17 June 2026
Musicians aren’t obligated to do anything political as part of the job, and plenty of audiences appreciate when artists don’t preach partisan points of view.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for preach
Cite this Entry
“Preach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preach. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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