treasure
1 of 2noun
trea·sure ˈtre-zhər 
ˈtrā-
1
a(1)
: wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded
buried treasure
(2)
: wealth of any kind or in any form : riches
b
: a store of money in reserve
2
: something of great worth or value
also : a person esteemed as rare or precious
3
: a collection of precious things
treasure
2 of 2verb
treasured; treasuring ˈtre-zh(ə-)riŋ
ˈtrā-
transitive verb
1
: to hold or keep as precious : cherish, prize
she treasured those memories
2
: to collect and store up (something of value) for future use : hoard
Synonyms
Noun
- boast
- credit
- crown jewel
- glory
- honor
- jewel
- pride
- trophy
Verb
- appreciate
- cherish
- love
- prize
- value
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun a legend about the pirates' buried treasure Central Park is one of New York City's many treasures. Grandmother's nurse has been a real treasure. Verb He treasures that autographed baseball. My grandmother's ring is my most treasured possession.
Recent Examples on the Web
BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 For Tyreek Hill, the perennial All-Pro receiver who the Miami Dolphins traded a treasure chest of draft picks for, and gave what was at that time the largest contract ever given to a receiver, that moment came during his senior year of high school. Omar Kelly, Sun Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2022 Auburn football in the second year of coach Bryan Harsin is like a mystery treasure chest of surprises at the dentist’s office. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 28 Aug. 2022 This one in particular comes complete with a water beads (which are fun, squishy, and slippery), three foam mermaids, two squeaky jellyfish, a scoop, shells, plastic seahorses, gems, a treasure chest, and a fake aquarium plant. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 18 Aug. 2022 Thomas never intended to kick off a public treasure hunt on Mount Washington. Spencer Buell, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2022 For many homes, finding out the exact year of construction is simple, but for older homes, the process of finding out when your home was built can feel more like a treasure hunt. Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2022 Florence Silver has been on the same treasure hunt for more than 30 years. Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Aug. 2022 Guests including Faye Resnick, Crystal Kung Minkoff and Kyle Richards' daughter, Farrah Aldjufrie enjoyed fun activities like a sandbox treasure hunt. Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2022 Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2022 Whether organizing a protest against book bans, or organizing a poetry reading, it’s all to help Latino communities treasure their stories – and themselves. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2022 Look for the good times and treasure the special moments along the way. Melinda Butler Mayo, Good Housekeeping, 26 July 2022 In life, Javier, 40, gave a gift that many now treasure: true friendship. Orlando Sentinel Staff, Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2022 Its sidewalks are shaded in the summertime by a tunnel of green, and residents treasure their easy access to two big, leafy parks. Jillian Atelsek, Washington Post, 6 July 2022 The theme for upcoming Season 4 is Mercenaries of Fortune, and loot and treasure feature largely in the promotional campaign. Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 June 2022 This is ultimately a story about the romance of companionship, itself a thing to treasure in life. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 21 May 2022 Jot down one of these famous quotes in a Father’s Day card so dad can treasure the note forever. Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, 19 May 2022 See More
Noun
For weeks, Mitchell had been linked in rumors to the New York Knicks, who have been pursuing talent upgrades and possess a treasure chest of tradable assets that other teams might find hard to match. BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 For Tyreek Hill, the perennial All-Pro receiver who the Miami Dolphins traded a treasure chest of draft picks for, and gave what was at that time the largest contract ever given to a receiver, that moment came during his senior year of high school. Omar Kelly, Sun Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2022 Auburn football in the second year of coach Bryan Harsin is like a mystery treasure chest of surprises at the dentist’s office. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 28 Aug. 2022 This one in particular comes complete with a water beads (which are fun, squishy, and slippery), three foam mermaids, two squeaky jellyfish, a scoop, shells, plastic seahorses, gems, a treasure chest, and a fake aquarium plant. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 18 Aug. 2022 Thomas never intended to kick off a public treasure hunt on Mount Washington. Spencer Buell, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2022 For many homes, finding out the exact year of construction is simple, but for older homes, the process of finding out when your home was built can feel more like a treasure hunt. Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2022 Florence Silver has been on the same treasure hunt for more than 30 years. Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Aug. 2022 Guests including Faye Resnick, Crystal Kung Minkoff and Kyle Richards' daughter, Farrah Aldjufrie enjoyed fun activities like a sandbox treasure hunt. Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2022 Verb
No other people, in a world-class place like Alaska, my bear spray tucked into my backpack and views that many people treasure during fleeting, weeklong vacations. Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2022 Whether organizing a protest against book bans, or organizing a poetry reading, it’s all to help Latino communities treasure their stories – and themselves. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2022 Look for the good times and treasure the special moments along the way. Melinda Butler Mayo, Good Housekeeping, 26 July 2022 In life, Javier, 40, gave a gift that many now treasure: true friendship. Orlando Sentinel Staff, Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2022 Its sidewalks are shaded in the summertime by a tunnel of green, and residents treasure their easy access to two big, leafy parks. Jillian Atelsek, Washington Post, 6 July 2022 The theme for upcoming Season 4 is Mercenaries of Fortune, and loot and treasure feature largely in the promotional campaign. Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 June 2022 This is ultimately a story about the romance of companionship, itself a thing to treasure in life. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 21 May 2022 Jot down one of these famous quotes in a Father’s Day card so dad can treasure the note forever. Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, 19 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English tresor, from Anglo-French, from Latin thesaurus — more at thesaurus
First Known Use
Noun
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Phrases Containing treasure
Kids Definition
treasure 1 of 2
noun
trea·sure ˈtre-zhər
1
: wealth (as money or jewels) stored up or held in reserve
2
: something of great value
The park is one of the city's treasures.
treasure
2 of 2verb
treasured; treasuring
: to treat as precious : cherish
Ramona, who liked to draw … treasured the new eraser … Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 Legal Definition
treasure
noun
trea·sure
: personal property that is hidden in something else for an extended period and whose owner cannot be determined
treasure 1 of 2
noun
1
as in jewel
an asset that brings praise or renown ancient archaeological treasures that today would never be allowed out of the country of origin Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- jewel
- trophy
- honor
- pride
- attraction
- glory
- highlight
- crown jewel
- credit
- boast
- feature
- value
- excellence
- a feather in one's cap
- showpiece
- virtue
- merit
- pièce de résistance
- distinction
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dishonor
- disgrace
- shame
- defect
- stain
- blemish
- stigma
- horror
- mess
- blot
- slur
- fright
- smudge
- smirch
- eyesore
2
as in gem
someone or something unusually desirable in thanking them for their contributions, the mayor referred to the volunteers at the homeless shelter as the city's greatest treasures Synonyms & Similar Words
- gem
- jewel
- prize
- valuable
- pearl
- find
- blessing
- plum
- catch
- spoil
- loot
- windfall
- plunder
- gold
- booty
- swag
- brass ring
- goody
- goodie
- godsend
- treasure trove
- glory
- prize money
- pride
- jackpot
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lemon
- loser
treasure
2 of 2verb
1
as in to value
to hold dear I'll always treasure the time my friend and I spent together this past summer Synonyms & Similar Words
- value
- love
- appreciate
- cherish
- enjoy
- prize
- respect
- admire
- like
- relish
- reverence
- regard
- set store on
- revere
- venerate
- set store by
- dig
- esteem
- enshrine
- fancy
- memorialize
- apprize
- groove (on)
- adore
- caress
- idolize
- worship
- delight (in)
- revel (in)
- dote (on)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hate
- undervalue
- despise
- scorn
- detest
- loathe
- scout
- disvalue
- abhor
- disdain
- sniff (at)
- minimize
- forget
- execrate
- abominate
- slight
- kiss off
- decry
- depreciate
- snub
- write off
- disparage
- abandon
- neglect
- put down
- belittle
- deprecate
- cry down
- high-hat
- bad-mouth
2
as in to stash
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place a trove of fine wines that he had lovingly treasured over the years Synonyms & Similar Words
- stash
- store
- hoard
- stockpile
- accumulate
- collect
- cache
- preserve
- conserve
- save
- set aside
- acquire
- put by
- stow
- pile
- lay in
- deposit
- lay up
- salt away
- lay away
- gather
- lay by
- stack
- keep
- amass
- squirrel (away)
- heap
- round up
- retain
- reserve
- coffer
- bury
- husband
- assemble
- bank
- garner
- stock
- set by
- conceal
- hold
- concentrate
- withhold
- pick up
- secrete
- scrape (together)
- ensconce
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dump
- discard
- waste
- cast
- unload
- ditch
- consume
- spend
- throw away
- throw out
- squander
- relinquish
- surrender
- fling (off or away)
- jettison
- hand out
- lavish
- hand over
- expend
- use up
- blow
- deplete
- dissipate
- scatter
- impoverish
- exhaust
- misspend
- run through
- dispel
- fritter (away)
- dissipate
- disperse
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of treasure are appreciate, cherish, prize, and value. While all these words mean "to hold in high estimation," treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious.
a treasured memento
The words appreciate and treasure are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence.
appreciates fine wine
The words cherish and treasure can be used in similar contexts, but cherish implies a special love and care for something.
cherishes her children above all
The meanings of prize and treasure largely overlap; however, prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses.
Americans prize their freedom
While in some cases nearly identical to treasure, value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth.
values our friendship