cherish

verb

cher·​ish ˈcher-ish 

ˈche-rish

cherished; cherishing; cherishes

transitive verb

1

a

: to hold dear : feel or show affection for

cherished her friends

b

: to keep or cultivate with care and affection : nurture

cherishes his marriage

2

: to entertain or harbor in the mind deeply and resolutely

still cherishes that memory

cherishable

ˈcher-i-shə-bəl 

ˈche-ri-

adjective

cherisher

ˈcher-i-shər 

ˈche-ri-

noun

Synonyms

• adore
• love
• worship

Choose the Right Synonym for cherish

appreciate, value, prize, treasure, cherish mean to hold in high estimation.

appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence.

appreciates fine wine

value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth.

values our friendship

prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses.

Americans prize their freedom

treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious.

a treasured memento

cherish implies a special love and care for something.

cherishes her children above all

Examples of cherish in a Sentence

a book cherished by many

I will always cherish that memory.

Recent Examples on the Web

If the people don’t cherish and demand transparent government, then the politicians certainly won’t, whether in Florida or the rest of the country. —David Cuillier, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025

The time to get all of these people together, on camera, to discuss all things Rocky and share their stories is not infinite and, as a result, fans will find plenty to cherish in Strange Journey. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025

His daughter, Emma, spoke about how the loss of her father meant having to grow up quicker and miss out on special moments daughters live to cherish. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2025

Listen to this article Chesterton junior Rob Czarniecki cherishes the challenge and the camaraderie too much. —Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cherisshen, from Anglo-French cheriss-, stem of cherir to cherish, from cher dear, from Latin carus — more at charity

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for cherish

• bearish
• farish
• garish
• perish
• squarish
• nightmarish

Kids Definition

cherish

verb

cher·​ish ˈcher-ish 

1

: to hold dear : feel or show affection for

cherished her friends

2

: to keep with care and affection : nurture

cherishes her friendship

3

: to harbor in the mind

cherish a hope