Antonyms for the word "preparing" are words that have opposite meanings to it. One such antonym is "neglecting", which means to disregard or pay no attention to. Another antonym could be "ignoring", which means to fail to notice or acknowledge. Additionally, "disregarding" can be an antonym for "preparing", implying not giving proper consideration to something. "Avoiding" is another potential antonym that denotes staying away from or abstaining from preparing for something. Lastly, "unprepared" could also be construed as an antonym for "preparing", indicating a state of not having completed preparations or being ready for something.