/prɪˈfɜ:(r) ||; prɪˈfɝ/verb [T] (preferring;preferred)prefer sth (to sth);prefer to do sth;prefer doing sth (not used in the continuous tenses 不用于进行时) to choose sth rather than sth else; to like sth better 宁可选择；较喜欢；偏好: Would you prefer tea or coffee? 你喜欢喝茶还是咖啡？Marianne prefers not to walk home on her own at night. 玛丽安娜不愿在晚上独自走路回家。My parents would prefer me to study law at university. 父母比较希望我在大学修读法律。 ☞Notice the different ways that prefer can be used Helen prefers going by train to flying (= generally or usually). Helen would prefer to go by train rather than (to) fly (= on this occasion). 注意prefer的不同用法：Helen prefers going by train to flying.海伦宁愿乘火车都不想坐飞机（在一般或通常情况下）。·Helen would prefer to go by train than (to) fly.比起坐飞机，海伦宁愿乘火车去（这一次）。 ☞ Prefer is generally rather formal. Instead of Would you prefer tea or coffee? we can say Would you rather have tea or coffee? Instead of I prefer skating to skiing we can say I like skating better than skiing. 一般来说prefer是相当正式的用语。与其说：Would you prefer tea or coffee?你选择喝茶还是咖啡？不如说：Would you rather have tea or coffee?你想要茶还是咖啡？除了可以说：I prefer skating to skiing.比起滑雪，我还是喜欢溜冰。我们可以说：I like skating better than skiing.我喜爱溜冰甚于滑雪。 Although this verb is not used in the continuous tenses, it is common to see the present participle (= -ing form) Their elder son had gone to work in London, preferring not to join the family firm. 虽然这个动词不用于进行时，但它的现在分词还是常见：Their elder son had gone to work in London, preferring not to join the family firm.他们的大儿子不愿进家族公司，已经去了伦敦工作。