Synonyms of preferring

preferring 1 of 2

adjective

as in choosing

Related Words

• choosing
• prone
• tending
• apt
• inclined
• minded
• willing
• liable
• disposed
• likely
• given
• predisposed

Dissimilar Words

• unwilling
• loath
• averse
• indisposed
• disinclined

preferring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prefer

1

as in liking

to show partiality toward

I generally prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla

Synonyms & Similar Words

• liking
• favoring
• enjoying
• choosing
• wanting
• picking
• leaning (toward or towards)
• going in for
• desiring
• relishing
• caring (for)
• selecting
• fancying
• appreciating
• adoring
• being partial to
• digging
• taking
• admiring
• naming
• culling
• craving
• coveting
• grooving (on)
• delighting (in)
• reveling (in)
• wishing (for)
• prejudicing
• valuing
• handpicking
• singling (out)
• biasing
• tending (to)
• hankering (for or after)
• cherishing
• cottoning (to)
• treasuring
• inclining (toward)
• prizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disliking
• refusing
• hating
• disfavoring
• abhorring
• rejecting
• detesting
• declining
• loathing
• discarding
• turning down
• misliking
• jettisoning
• abominating
• throwing away
• throwing out

2

as in selecting

to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities

most buyers of that vehicle have preferred the model with four-wheel drive

Synonyms & Similar Words

• choosing
• selecting
• picking
• taking
• electing
• naming
• designating
• culling
• tagging
• opting (for)
• handpicking
• cherry-picking
• singling (out)
• adopting
• accepting
• nominating
• embracing
• appointing
• tapping
• marking
• preselecting
• setting
• espousing
• fixing
• tabbing
• settling (on or upon)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refusing
• rejecting
• declining
• turning down
• disapproving
• repudiating
• discarding
• spurning
• throwing away
• throwing out
• negativing
• jettisoning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of preferring

Verb

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said some members of his caucus plan to skip Dallas, preferring to stay home and campaign for reelection, but many of them will make an appearance. — Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Van Dijk and Salah both signed new two-year deals, but Alexander-Arnold had shown no desire to extend his contract, preferring to join Real Madrid (as would Konate a year later). — James Pearce, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The European Commission hit Google with a hefty 460 million euro ($543 million) fine in July for preferring its own services in searches for travel and shopping. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026

Singh remains modest about his efforts, preferring the spotlight be on the sweets. — Melissa May, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Vanhée often calls on artists, preferring to draw inspiration from IRL, cross-disciplinary exchange. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Our play slid off the personal details of Gloria, preferring to center her work. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Rota chose to live in Southern Italy, in Bari, preferring it to his native Milan and Rome, the country’s capital of cinema. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

At its most recent meeting in July, three committee members dissented from the decision, preferring to raise the target range by a quarter-point. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026