PRIZE Synonyms: 299 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'prize' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prize are booty , loot , plunder , spoils , and spoil . While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy. // the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

Q: Where would 'booty' be a reasonable alternative to 'prize'?

The meanings of booty and prize largely overlap; however, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates. // thieves dividing up their booty

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

While the synonyms loot and prize are close in meaning, loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe. // picked through the ruins for loot

Q: When might 'plunder' be a better fit than 'prize'?

Although the words plunder and prize have much in common, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling. // a bootlegger's plunder

Q: How do 'spoil' and 'spoils' relate to one another, in the sense of 'prize'?

Spoil , more commonly spoils , applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest. // the spoils of political victory

prize 1 of 4

noun

ˈprīz

Definition of prize

as in treasure

someone or something unusually desirable in the view of most of her friends, her current boyfriend is certainly no prize

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lemon
loser

as in award

something given in recognition of achievement the Pritzker Architecture Prize is the world's most prestigious honor in the field of architecture

Synonyms & Similar Words

prize

2 of 4

adjective

as in excellent

of the very best kind delighted to be guests at one of her prize dinner parties

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prize

3 of 4

verb (1)

as in to pry

to draw out by force or with effort prizing the stubborn nails out of the board

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to pull

to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever trying to prize apart the jammed gears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

join
connect

prize

4 of 4

verb (2)

as in to treasure

to hold dear veterinarians know that pets are highly prized by their owners

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun prize differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prize are booty, loot, plunder, spoils, and spoil. While all these words mean "something taken from another by force or craft," prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

Where would booty be a reasonable alternative to prize?

The meanings of booty and prize largely overlap; however, booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

When would loot be a good substitute for prize?

While the synonyms loot and prize are close in meaning, loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

When might plunder be a better fit than prize?

Although the words plunder and prize have much in common, plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

How do spoil and spoils relate to one another, in the sense of prize?

Spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

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 prize

Noun

Parton also won a Liseberg Applause Award, the biggest prize in the theme park industry, for her fabled tourist attraction Dollywood. — Rj Smith, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The event will include giveaways, prizes, barbecue hot dogs, a meet and greet with San Diego Police Department volunteers, photo ops with Skateboard Hall of Famers and officers, patrol cars, a four-person relay race and a fastest lap contest. — Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Verb

San Marino developed as an estate community and is still prized for its large lots and architectural variety of stately homes. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026 Ferrari F40s are among the most prized, despite the fact that Ferrari made more than 1,300 of them. — Robert Frank, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prize

Noun

Fifty-something years later, Rush remains a North American treasure.

— Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026
The steward of this American treasure since the patriarch died in 2013, Jeanie Buss dug in her Christian Louboutin heels in a fight to keep her family in the hierarchy of the purple and gold.

— Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of treasure

Verb

Pratt fouled off Thornton’s first pitch and then pulled back his bat on the second one, a fastball right down the middle.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate militarily, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked.

— Tucker Reals, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pull

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

Noun

The Meltdown had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where The Hollywood Reporter featured it as a hidden gem.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Enjoy this underappreciated gem—just beware the Frogman, who lurks in Stephen’s mind and on every page.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of gem

Noun

KPop Demon Hunter’s latest accolade is a reminder that the canon, too, remains far from fixed.

— Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
All these accolades and swift-but-eventful years later, the persona of the guy who became a wonder of the world remains intact and part of his unique appeal.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of accolade

Adjective

But there may be little anyone–government or corporate–can do to persuade people to have children amid greater economic uncertainty.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
From travel dresses to a lightweight sweater, here are 14 items from Quince’s Workwear Edit that would look great on you on your next flight, starting at $20.

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

Definition of great

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privy

prize

prized

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Style

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

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Synonyms of prize

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