CHERISH Synonyms: 126 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'cherish' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of cherish are appreciate , prize , treasure , and value . While all these words mean "to hold in high estimation," cherish implies a special love and care for something. // cherishes her children above all

Q: When can 'appreciate' be used instead of 'cherish'?

In some situations, the words appreciate and cherish are roughly equivalent. However, appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence. // appreciates fine wine

Q: When would 'prize' be a good substitute for 'cherish'?

The synonyms prize and cherish are sometimes interchangeable, but prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses. // Americans prize their freedom

Q: Where would 'treasure' be a reasonable alternative to 'cherish'?

Although the words treasure and cherish have much in common, treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious. // a treasured memento

Q: When could 'value' be used to replace 'cherish'?

The meanings of value and cherish largely overlap; however, value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth. // values our friendship

cherish

verb

ˈcher-ish

Definition of cherish

as in to love

to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for promised to love and cherish her husband forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to treasure

to hold dear we shall always cherish the keepsakes that our grandmother left us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to have

to keep in one's mind or heart after all these years, she still cherishes the memory of her first summer romance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cherish different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of cherish are appreciate, prize, treasure, and value. While all these words mean "to hold in high estimation," cherish implies a special love and care for something.

cherishes her children above all

When can appreciate be used instead of cherish?

In some situations, the words appreciate and cherish are roughly equivalent. However, appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence.

appreciates fine wine

When would prize be a good substitute for cherish?

The synonyms prize and cherish are sometimes interchangeable, but prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses.

Americans prize their freedom

Where would treasure be a reasonable alternative to cherish?

Although the words treasure and cherish have much in common, treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious.

a treasured memento

When could value be used to replace cherish?

The meanings of value and cherish largely overlap; however, value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth.

values our friendship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cherish And Fletcher, with Big Mark watching over him, will cherish every step of the journey. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 Williams-Paisley continues to cherish her fondest memories with Keaton after her death. — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 Nadia Gramby cherishes quiet moments with her baby girl River Emmanuel, who's starting to talk. — Kristin Wright, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 All of this is why people cherish their experience of an eclipse — not because of a photograph. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cherish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cherish

Verb

Markets haven’t exactly loved the circular nature of all of these deals.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Dark movie theaters, or creepy home basements, are the classic venues of choice for those who love supernatural scares.

— Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of love

Verb

But sometimes, that’s the type of unassuming restaurant treasured most by loyal customers.

— Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2026
The vision describes a county that continues to treasure its natural beauty and protect open space across the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, while creating opportunities for people to live, work, recreate and raise families.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of treasure

Verb

Junior quarterback Aaron McCormack, who is the coach’s son and ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Justin Slaven, is among the teammates who quickly came to appreciate Harris’ talents.

— Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
One shopper appreciated the cushy insoles, while another called out how surprisingly soft the leather feels.

— Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of appreciate

Verb

Namely, a forgiving elastic waistband, a breezy, lightweight feel, and pockets that are actually deep enough to hold your essentials.

— Jill Layton, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
The bag is big enough to hold all your travel essentials—even a small umbrella or tablet—and features two slip pockets and one zip pocket inside.

— Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of hold

Verb

The public's mounting disdain for the tech sector could prove especially challenging for Anthropic and OpenAI, both valued at nearly $1 trillion and gearing up for potentially historic IPOs.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
Project Rise Love Productions founders Richard McKerrow and Anna Beattie built a culture that valued creative independence, meaning relations with Sky were not always straightforward.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of value

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chemists

cherish

cherished

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“Cherish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cherish. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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