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.
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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
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(tr) to equip or outfit, as for an expedition
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(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
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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:
Exceptionally high tides are set to hit California as early as this weekend, sending officials scrambling to prepare for another onslaught along the state’s already battered coast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
On a windy morning in Maine's busiest lobster port of Stonington, bearded men in orange trouser bibs sort lobsters into bins, work on their steel wire traps, or prepare their boats.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
He said part of the problem was the announcement about the security vulnerabilities in PHP came as a surprise, without much time to prepare for action.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
As companies prepare to post their earnings for the quarter, the spotlight is on oil majors after severe tightness in global fuel markets drove refining margins to all-time highs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
I want to write out notes, make talking points, prepare.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
President Bola Tinubu kicked off his re-election campaign Saturday promising "a better tomorrow" as Nigeria prepares to head to the polls in a vote set to be defined by the rising cost of living.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
It comes as chancellor John Healey prepares to deliver his Budget next week that is likely to tax banks.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
As she prepares to celebrate the release of “I Can’t Stop” with a six-date book tour, Hanawalt can’t say for sure if she’s answered any existential midlife questions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
It’s a key week for tech stocks as Nvidia gears up for a European conference and Meta prepares to report earnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
I study my French and try not to bother him too much while he prepares the next day’s lessons.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
A: Preparing to get your software updated, be prepared to keep it updated, and be prepared to implement patches when they come out.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
PARIS—France was on alert for renewed violence Saturday as protesters prepared to take to the streets across the country, a week after demonstrations against the rising cost of living descended into widespread rioting and looting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Some of that trickles down to workers in India, where there is no shortage of workers prepared to wear a camera for a few dollars a day.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
The full findings are still being prepared for public release, but researchers believe the technology could significantly expand treatment options for millions of people.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
The investigation-minded men had come prepared with a large steel scale.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Japan's space agency, JAXA, is preparing a sample-return mission to Phobos, one of Mars' two moons.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
From rescue volunteers to tradespeople, being on standby means preparing for situations they cannot always predict.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Both the league and the union say they want to participate in the Games, but Manfred said MLB would normally start preparing its 2028 schedule early in 2027.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
But some in the room were stunned to discover that the U.S. government was preparing to do business with Betancourt, the people familiar with the meeting said.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
For now, recall the words of Agatha Swanburne, who once said, “Spend one-tenth preparing for the worst; spend nine-tenths reaching for the best.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
