PREPOSSESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does prepossess mean? 

• PREPOSSESS (verb)
  The verb PREPOSSESS has 4 senses:

1. possess beforehand

2. cause to be preoccupied

3. make a positive impression (on someone) beforehand

4. influence (somebody's) opinion in advance

  Familiarity information: PREPOSSESS used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PREPOSSESS (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they prepossess    ... he / she / it prepossesses   
Past simple: prepossessed   
Past participle: prepossessed   
-ing form: prepossessing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Possess beforehand

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "prepossess" is one way to...):

have; own; possess (have ownership or possession of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to be preoccupied

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

The idea of his failure prepossesses him

Hypernyms (to "prepossess" is one way to...):

preoccupy (engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or occupy urgently or obsessively)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make a positive impression (on someone) beforehand

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

A prepossessing appearance

Hypernyms (to "prepossess" is one way to...):

impress (impress positively)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Influence (somebody's) opinion in advance

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

prejudice; prepossess

Hypernyms (to "prepossess" is one way to...):

act upon; influence; work (have and exert influence or effect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepossess"):

bias; predetermine (cause to be biased)

bias (influence in an unfair way)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

prepossession (an opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence)

 Context examples 

But in those who are at all inferior, it is extremely prepossessing.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Her manners were by no means so elegant as her sister's, but they were much more prepossessing.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

M. Krempe was a little squat man with a gruff voice and a repulsive countenance; the teacher, therefore, did not prepossess me in favour of his pursuits.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

They are very picturesque, but do not look prepossessing.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

She looked at him with great admiration, and even supposed it possible that some people might think him handsomer than his brother, though, in her eyes, his air was more assuming, and his countenance less prepossessing.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

She wanted to ascertain the feelings of each of her visitors; she wanted to compose her own, and to make herself agreeable to all; and in the latter object, where she feared most to fail, she was most sure of success, for those to whom she endeavoured to give pleasure were prepossessed in her favour.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Miss Crawford found a sister without preciseness or rusticity, a sister's husband who looked the gentleman, and a house commodious and well fitted up; and Mrs. Grant received in those whom she hoped to love better than ever a young man and woman of very prepossessing appearance.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Your sister need not have any scruple even of visiting HER, which, to say the truth, has been a little the case, and very naturally; for we only knew that Mrs. Jennings was the widow of a man who had got all his money in a low way; and Fanny and Mrs. Ferrars were both strongly prepossessed, that neither she nor her daughters were such kind of women as Fanny would like to associate with.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)