gem
1 of 3noun
ˈjem 
1
a
: jewel
b
: a precious or sometimes semiprecious stone cut and polished for ornament
2
a
: something prized especially for great beauty or perfection
b
: a highly prized or well-beloved person
3
: muffin
gem
2 of 3verb
gemmed; gemming
transitive verb
: to adorn with or as if with gems
GEM
3 of 3abbreviation
ground-effect machine
Synonyms
Noun
- brilliant
- gemstone
- jewel
- rock [slang]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The house is a gem of colonial architecture. He pitched a gem of a game. Her most recent novel is a real gem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2022 YouTube hadn’t broken out of beta yet, so Ryang posted his humor gem to a private quarter of his employer’s website and gave some friends a dotmov link. WIRED, 14 Sep. 2022 The diamond studded gem is fashioned into a knot, which, for thousands of years, has been a symbol of love, commitment, unity, and unbreakable bonds. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 14 Sep. 2022 As one of the most popular peptide serums available, this Drunk Elephant gem packs quite the punch. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2022 Enter the Blast Tourbillon Rainbow, combining the gem setting of the Sparkling Blast and the tourbillon technology of the original Blast Tourbillon. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2022 Both lawsuits detail the truck’s journey from a San Francisco Bay area gem show to a truck stop north of Los Angeles, where it was broken into. Julian Mark, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 Amaya also was close to Kaavi’s uber wealthy family who are in the gem business. Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 Her hair was parted down the middle with some hair gem on and all around the crown. Chelsea Avila, Allure, 24 Aug. 2022 Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 This annual celebration of natural wine and pizza, held in the spacious garden behind Park View gem Sonny’s, is a chance to try pairing a wide variety of organic and natural wines and ciders with New York-style slices, while listening to a DJ. Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2020 Other options include having a piece of jewelry entirely stone set or partially gem set, depending on the piece. Roberta Naas, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021 Enjoy the historic downtown, which is home to artisanal preserves gem American Spoon, former Hemingway haunt Stafford's Perry Hotel, and upscale kitchen and bar Pour. Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2021 An old-fashioned beefsteak tomato meets kewpie mayo, smoked bacon, and gem lettuce. Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 2 July 2021 The massive watch, jewelry and gem trade show that had been operating since 1917 died a slow and painful death in 2020 with the exit of key brands, including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Swatch Group and LVMH brands. Carol Besler, Forbes, 23 June 2021 Sikil p'ak salad with butter and gem lettuce, spicy pumpkin seed dip, pomegranate, raw vegetables and citrus-agave vinaigrette ($14). Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, 20 Oct. 2020 Beach Boys gem not often heard, from an album not often played. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2020 See More
Noun
The Great Star of Africa is the biggest stone cut from the Cullinan diamond, which was discovered in South Africa in 1905 in a mine owned by its namesake, Thomas Cullinan, and is the largest gem-quality uncut diamond ever found. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2022 YouTube hadn’t broken out of beta yet, so Ryang posted his humor gem to a private quarter of his employer’s website and gave some friends a dotmov link. WIRED, 14 Sep. 2022 The diamond studded gem is fashioned into a knot, which, for thousands of years, has been a symbol of love, commitment, unity, and unbreakable bonds. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 14 Sep. 2022 As one of the most popular peptide serums available, this Drunk Elephant gem packs quite the punch. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2022 Enter the Blast Tourbillon Rainbow, combining the gem setting of the Sparkling Blast and the tourbillon technology of the original Blast Tourbillon. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2022 Both lawsuits detail the truck’s journey from a San Francisco Bay area gem show to a truck stop north of Los Angeles, where it was broken into. Julian Mark, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 Amaya also was close to Kaavi’s uber wealthy family who are in the gem business. Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 Her hair was parted down the middle with some hair gem on and all around the crown. Chelsea Avila, Allure, 24 Aug. 2022 Verb
Will Pacific Northwest gem Seattle rank No. 1 or will the elite mountain town of Boulder, Colo., take the top spot? Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 This annual celebration of natural wine and pizza, held in the spacious garden behind Park View gem Sonny’s, is a chance to try pairing a wide variety of organic and natural wines and ciders with New York-style slices, while listening to a DJ. Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2020 Other options include having a piece of jewelry entirely stone set or partially gem set, depending on the piece. Roberta Naas, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021 Enjoy the historic downtown, which is home to artisanal preserves gem American Spoon, former Hemingway haunt Stafford's Perry Hotel, and upscale kitchen and bar Pour. Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2021 An old-fashioned beefsteak tomato meets kewpie mayo, smoked bacon, and gem lettuce. Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 2 July 2021 The massive watch, jewelry and gem trade show that had been operating since 1917 died a slow and painful death in 2020 with the exit of key brands, including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Swatch Group and LVMH brands. Carol Besler, Forbes, 23 June 2021 Sikil p'ak salad with butter and gem lettuce, spicy pumpkin seed dip, pomegranate, raw vegetables and citrus-agave vinaigrette ($14). Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, 20 Oct. 2020 Beach Boys gem not often heard, from an album not often played. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English gemme, from Anglo-French, from Latin gemma bud, gem
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1610, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
gem
noun
ˈjem
1
: a usually valuable stone cut and polished for jewelry
2
: something prized as being beautiful or perfect
The old house is a real gem.
gemming
verb
as in jeweling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- jeweling
- jewelling
- pearling
- accessorizing
- dressing up
- diamonding
- trapping
- impearling
- filleting
- brightening
- embroidering
- lacing
- figuring
- frilling
- swagging
- freshening
- tricking (out)
- smartening
- fringing
- bossing
- chasing
- braiding
- feathering
- redoing
- appliquéing
- flouncing
- sprucing (up)
- decorating
- ribboning
- garlanding
- redecorating
- painting
- filigreeing
- gilding
- embellishing
- decking
- embossing
- gussying up
- hanging
- wreathing
- blazoning
- ornamenting
- adorning
- draping
- beautifying
- doing up
- enriching
- trimming
- dolling up
- festooning
- bedecking
- furbelowing
- arraying
- fancifying
- bedizening
- garnishing
- dressing
- caparisoning
- glitzing (up)
- fancying up
- doing
- emblazing
- gracing
- prettying (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- simplifying
- streamlining
- displaying
- revealing
- uncovering
- stripping
- baring
- dismantling
- exposing
- denuding
- divesting
- scarring
- disfiguring
- uglifying
- spoiling
- marring
- defacing
- blemishing