Preach

/priːtʃ/

Meaning & Definition

verb

To deliver a sermon or religious address to an assembled group of people.

The pastor will preach on the theme of forgiveness this Sunday.

To advocate or promote a particular belief, doctrine, or moral lesson.

He preached the importance of honesty in all aspects of life.

To speak about something in a way that is considered overly moralizing or self-righteous.

She tends to preach about environmental issues, but few take her seriously because of her hypocrisy.

To give a public speech that expresses strong opinions or beliefs.

The activist preached passionately about human rights during the rally.

Middle English 'preachen', from Old French 'preacher', from Latin 'praedicare' meaning 'to proclaim'.

preach to the choir:

To present an argument or viewpoint to people who already agree with it.

preach the gospel:

To share or spread the teachings of Christianity.

practice what you preach:

To act according to the principles you advocate.

To advocate strongly or passionately for something.

He was preaching about the importance of voting at the rally.

To express agreement or enthusiasm, often used in a socio-political context.

When she said that, everyone was like 'Preach!' in agreement.