prepare

/prəˈpɛr/
/prəˈpɛə/
IPA guide

Other forms: prepared; preparing; prepares

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.

Definitions of prepare
  1. verb
    make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
    “prepare for war”
    synonyms: fix, gear up, ready, set, set up
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    types:
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    socialise, socialize
    prepare for social life
    provide
    take measures in preparation for
    cram
    prepare (students) hastily for an impending exam
    precondition
    put into the required condition beforehand
    fix
    kill, preserve, and harden (tissue) in order to prepare for microscopic study
    mount
    fix onto a backing, setting, or support
    lay out, set, set up
    get ready for a particular purpose or event
    winterise, winterize
    prepare for winter
    summerise, summerize
    prepare for summer
    prime
    insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing
    crop, cultivate, work
    prepare for crops
    brace, poise
    prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult
    overcrop, overcultivate
    to exhaust by excessive cultivation
    nerve, steel
    get ready for something difficult or unpleasant
    type of:
    alter, change, modify
    cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
  2. verb
    arrange by systematic planning and united effort
    synonyms: devise, get up, machinate, organise, organize
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    types:
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    mount, put on
    prepare and supply with the necessary equipment for execution or performance
    lay
    prepare or position for action or operation
    set up
    begin, or enable someone else to begin, a venture by providing the means, logistics, etc.
    sandwich
    make into a sandwich
    spatchcock
    prepare for eating if or as if a spatchcock
    embattle
    prepare for battle or conflict
    rerun
    rerun a performance of a play, for example
    type of:
    initiate, pioneer
    take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of
  3. verb
    to prepare verbally, either for written or spoken delivery
    “prepare a report”
    “prepare a speech”
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    types:
    rough, rough in, rough out
    prepare in preliminary or sketchy form
    type of:
    create, make
    make or cause to be or to become
  4. verb
    educate for a future role or function
    “The prince was prepared to become King one day”
    synonyms: groom, train
    train
    undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession
    develop, educate, train
    create by training and teaching
    check, condition, discipline, train
    develop (children's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
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    types:
    dispose, qualify
    make fit or prepared
    habilitate
    qualify for teaching at a university in Europe
    capacitate
    make capable
    type of:
    educate
    give an education to
  5. verb
    create by training and teaching
    synonyms: develop, educate, train
    build up, develop
    change the use of and make available or usable
    train
    undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession
    groom, train
    educate for a future role or function
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    types:
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    retrain
    teach new skills
    drill
    train in the military, e.g., in the use of weapons
    house-train, housebreak
    train (a pet) to live cleanly in a house
    toilet-train
    train (a small child) to use the toilet
    type of:
    instruct, learn, teach
    impart skills or knowledge to
  6. verb
    undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession
    synonyms: train
    develop, educate, train
    create by training and teaching
    groom, train
    educate for a future role or function
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    types:
    apprentice
    be or work as an apprentice
    retrain
    train again
    drill
    undergo military training or do military exercises
    type of:
    learn, read, study, take
    be a student of a certain subject
  7. verb
    prepare for eating by applying heat
    synonyms: cook, fix, make, ready
    make
    gather and light the materials for
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    keep, preserve
    prevent (food) from rotting
    dress, dress out
    kill and prepare for market or consumption
    deglaze
    dissolve cooking juices or solid food in (a pan) by adding liquid and stirring
    escallop, scallop
    bake in a sauce, milk, etc., often with breadcrumbs on top
    flambe
    pour liquor over and ignite (a dish)
    put on
    put on the stove or ready for cooking
    devil
    coat or stuff with a spicy paste
    precook
    cook beforehand so that the actual preparation won't take long
    whip up, whomp up
    prepare or cook quickly or hastily
    concoct, cook up
    prepare or cook by mixing ingredients
    lard
    prepare or cook with lard
    freeze-dry
    preserve by rapid freezing and subsequently drying in a vacuum
    conserve
    preserve with sugar
    dehydrate, desiccate
    preserve by removing all water and liquids from
    pickle
    preserve in a pickling liquid
    salt
    preserve with salt
    can, put up, tin
    preserve in a can or tin
    refrigerate
    preserve by chilling
    cure
    prepare by drying, salting, or chemical processing in order to preserve
    corn
    preserve with salt
    type of:
    create from raw material, create from raw stuff
    make from scratch
  8. verb
    lead up to and soften by sounding the dissonant note in it as a consonant note in the preceding chord
    “prepare the discord in bar 139”
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    type of:
    sound
    cause to sound
Pronunciation
US
/prəˈpɛr/
UK
/prəˈpɛə/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘prepare'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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