prepossess
v 1: possess beforehand
2: cause to be preoccupied; "The idea of his failure
prepossesses him"
3: make a positive impression (on someone) beforehand; "A
prepossessing appearance"
4: influence (somebody's) opinion in advance [syn: {prejudice},
{prepossess}]
Prepossess \Pre`pos*sess"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Prepossessed};
p. pr. & vb. n. {Prepossessing}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To preoccupy, as ground or land; to take previous
possession of. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
2. To preoccupy, as the mind or heart, so as to preclude
other things; hence, to bias or prejudice; to give a
previous inclination to, for or against anything; esp., to
induce a favorable opinion beforehand, or at the outset.
[1913 Webster]
It created him enemies, and prepossessed the lord
general. --Evelyn.
[1913 Webster]
47 Moby Thesaurus words for "prepossess": absorb, adopt, appropriate, arrogate, assume, bend, bias, busy, colonize, conquer, distort, engage, engross, enslave, hog, imbue, immerse, indent, influence, involve, jaundice, jump a claim, make free with, make use of, monopolize, occupy, overrun, preempt, preengage, prejudice, prejudice against, prejudice the issue, preoccupy, requisition, sit on, soak, squat on, subjugate, sway, take all of, take it all, take over, take possession of, take up, twist, usurp, warp