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
-
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
-
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
-
(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
-
is preparingprogressive
-
have been preparingperfect progressive
-
has been preparingperfect progressive
Past
-
preparedsimple
-
had preparedperfect
-
was preparingprogressive
-
were preparingprogressive
-
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:
“Really these are the only two remedies we’ve been asked to prepare anywhere in the world,” Poux-Guillaume said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The unusual illumination even fooled gold miners into thinking morning had arrived, prompting them to prepare breakfast shortly after midnight.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
The team used Claude to help prepare a 35-page prompt that launched the design run.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Arrange flowers, prepare a simple dessert spread and refrigerate anything perishable.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
I try to prepare myself for Dara’s date with Elliott—you know, motivational words like, “You don’t hate your fave cousin” and “Who needs boys anyway?”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The disclosures offer a rare financial look under the hood as the AI giant prepares for a blockbuster IPO that could help it reach a valuation of $2 trillion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
As the city prepares for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, a $30-billion makeover for LAX is underway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
As Anthropic prepares to go public, Wall Street is grappling with the unprecedented question of how to price the risks associated with artificial-intelligence calamity.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Verastem plans to raise $250 million as it prepares for late-stage testing of its experimental cancer treatment.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
It is not the full tea ceremony that she has performed on several occasions over the years, but as Tsukiko slowly prepares two bowls of green matcha, it is beautiful and calming nonetheless.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
A dossier prepared by search firm Korn Ferry reveals candid, and at times controversial, ways recruiters assess contenders for top jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Bayne, who trains in jiujitsu and Krav Maga self-defense, said extensive jury trial experience has prepared him to be an effective judge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Ball named Hartman; his business partner, Knight; and their company, Integer, as the formal subjects of the probe, as they prepared to potentially issue subpoenas and gather more evidence.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
“The way I see it, I can spend the same amount of money on a prepared meal at a fast-food restaurant or buy ingredients that make a whole meal for multiple days,” Sabree told me.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
“I should think so. There’s a bump the size of a baseball where something hit you. You’re lucky the human body is prepared for emergencies. Have you ever heard of the diving reflex?”
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
The findings point to the importance of looking beyond a single forecast image when preparing for a hurricane.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
The San Francisco company is preparing for a blockbuster IPO that could help it reach a valuation of $2 trillion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Kim Il Sung spent decades preparing his son, Kim Jong Il, for power.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Now, after spending more than 40 years at the Lake Tahoe retreat, Love and Piesen are preparing to hand over the keys to a new owner.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
He palmed it like a playing card, but only for a few seconds until Sydney moved by as if preparing to exit.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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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.
