(~es, ~ing, ~ed)
1.
When a member of the clergy ~es a sermon, he or she gives a talk on a religious or moral subject during a religious service.
At High Mass the priest ~ed a sermon on the devil...
The bishop ~ed to a crowd of several hundred local people...
He denounced the decision to invite his fellow archbishop to ~.
VERB: V n, V to n, V, also V against/on n
2.
When people ~ a belief or a course of action, they try to persuade other people to accept the belief or to take the course of action.
The Prime Minister said he was trying to ~ peace and tolerance to his people...
Health experts are now ~ing that even a little exercise is far better than none at all...
For many years I have ~ed against war.
VERB: V n, V that, V against/about n
3.
If someone gives you advice in a very serious, boring way, you can say that they are ~ing at you.
‘Don’t ~ at me,’ he shouted.
VERB: V at n disapproval
4.
If you say that someone practises what they ~, you mean that they behave in the way that they encourage other people to behave in.
He ought to practise what he ~es.
PHRASE: Vs inflect
5.
If you say that someone is ~ing to the converted, you mean that they are wasting their time because they are trying to persuade people to think or believe in things that they already think or believe in.
PHRASE: V inflects