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

In patients with positive results, primary care doctors were less likely to diagnose Alzheimer’s at the time of the visit, preferring to refer patients with worrisome results to specialists for further examination. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Instead of flipping his day, the branding exec likes to ski in the morning and doesn’t head to the office until noon, preferring to work later in the evening—often over dinner with clients. — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 July 2026

This is a more traditional approach, with a manager preferring one reliever in the seventh inning, another in the eighth, and a closer (when rested) in the ninth. — Greg Jewett, New York Times, 9 July 2026

Like many 20-somethings, my friends and I have mostly moved on from texts, preferring to send one another voice recordings instead. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Under owner Arte Moreno, the Angels have resisted rebuilding, preferring to add lower-tier free agents and rush college players to the major leagues in an effort to field a competitive roster. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

The platform is usually occupied only by a caretaker guard, with Michael Bates preferring to live on the mainland. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026

His original character designer, who wasn't involved in the new game, admitted to preferring the Super Mario Galaxy Movie version of Fox to this remake's. — James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 24 June 2026

Couto, in his opening address, pushed back on the language of disruption or reset, preferring a more precise term for what APOS captured. — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 19 June 2026