prepare
Americanverb (used with object)
-
prepares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prepared,
past participle, past
-
preparing
present participle
-
to put in proper condition or readiness.
to prepare a patient for surgery.
- Antonyms:
- disorganize
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to get (a meal) ready for eating, as by proper assembling, cooking, etc.
-
to manufacture, compound, or compose.
to prepare a cough syrup.
- Synonyms:
- make
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Music. to lead up to (a discord, an embellishment, etc.) by some preliminary tone or tones.
verb (used without object)
-
prepares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prepared,
past participle, past
-
preparing
present participle
verb
-
to make ready or suitable in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
to prepare a meal
to prepare to go
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to put together using parts or ingredients; compose or construct
-
(tr) to equip or outfit, as for an expedition
-
(tr) music to soften the impact of (a dissonant note) by the use of preparation
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(foll by an infinitive) to be willing and able (to do something)
I'm not prepared to reveal these figures
Synonym Usage
Prepare, contrive, devise imply planning for and making ready for something expected or thought possible. To prepare is to make ready beforehand for some approaching event, need, and the like: to prepare a room, a speech. Contrive and devise emphasize the exercise of ingenuity and inventiveness. The first word suggests a shrewdness that borders on trickery, but this is absent from devise : to contrive a means of escape; to devise a time-saving method.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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preparesimple
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preparessimple
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have preparedperfect
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has preparedperfect
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am preparingprogressive
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are preparingprogressive
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is preparingprogressive
-
have been preparingperfect progressive
-
has been preparingperfect progressive
Past
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preparedsimple
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had preparedperfect
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was preparingprogressive
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were preparingprogressive
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had been preparingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prepare
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin praeparāre “to make ready beforehand,” equivalent to prae- pre- + parāre “to set, get ready” (akin to parent )
Explanation
To prepare means to get ready for something. When you prepare for a test, you'll get a better score than if you don’t. Look at all the variations that you find with prepare. If you prepare yourself mentally for an experience, you sent you mind on it happening. If you're going to tell your family that you're moving out, you might want to prepare them by having them sit down. Are you prepared for their reaction? Are you prepared to defend your decision? You can prepare wood to be painted by cleaning and sanding it. And if you prepare dinner, you cook it.
Vocabulary lists containing prepare
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Matthews, who lost his house, is now urging his neighbours to prepare for the worst.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
I refused to believe them, and must have been strident enough that my aunt asked my mom if she’d allow me to witness her prepare the chicken casserole she planned to serve that night.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
A purchase of that scale shows the U.S. government considers a supply disruption credible enough to prepare for now.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The port’s new tower also could prepare the city to help host the Olympic Games in 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
We went home early, and the teachers got extra time to prepare their lessons.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Rams training camp has officially wrapped up as the team prepares for a new season as the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Star Wars is to be dubbed into Welsh for the first time as the classic film prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
"Children in effect undergo a body composition reset at the plateau around age 4 years, which prepares them for the growth stages after that age," he explains.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
For Novig, which received the CFTC’s nod last month to operate nationwide, teaming with the Mets is a coup as it prepares its full-scale launch in August.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Her hands, small and fine, sift through jars of spices as she prepares lunch.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Mehvish says nothing could have prepared her for what she was told after her full body scan.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Supporters see a decisive leader prepared to confront Colombia's entrenched violence.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
“It’s part of our strategy to be prepared for all possible futures,” Gaevoy said in an interview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The company, in its earnings release on Thursday, said its expectation for weaker sales reflects “reduced consumer demand for fresh prepared foods due to the multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis since mid-July.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Madame Ionesco seemed far better prepared for this adventure than Penelope was.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Friday's data will also pose a question to the US Federal Reserve, which has been signalling it was preparing for a rate hike later this year.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
While preparing for the country’s planned celebration of its 250th birthday, Trump decided to do a little housecleaning and update the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, vowing to make it better than ever.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
So I've been clear: the NHS has to make sure we are preparing for summer pressures now in the same way we prepare for winter.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
We’re all trying to support our own children and grandchildren while also preparing for our own retirements.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
But tomorrow was the CAKE, and the task of preparing her speech could not be put off any longer.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
