cherish

[ cher-ish ]
See synonyms for: cherishcherishedcherishescherishing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to hold or treat as dear; feel love for: to cherish one's native land.

  2. to care for tenderly; nurture: to cherish a child.

  1. to cling fondly or inveterately to: to cherish a memory.

Origin of cherish

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English cherisshen, from Middle French cheriss- (long stem of cherir ); equivalent to cher “dear” (from Latin cārus “beloved, dear, expensive”) + -ish2; cf. charity

synonym study For cherish

1, 2. Cherish, foster, harbor imply giving affection, care, or shelter to something. Cherish suggests regarding or treating something as an object of affection or as valuable: to cherish a friendship. Foster implies sustaining and nourishing something with care, especially in order to promote, increase, or strengthen it: to foster a hope; to foster enmity. Harbor suggests giving shelter to or entertaining something undesirable, especially evil thoughts or intentions: to harbor malice or a grudge.

Other words for cherish

Opposites for cherish

Other words from cherish

  • cher·ish·a·ble, adjective
  • cher·ish·er, noun
  • cher·ish·ing·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·cher·ish, verb (used with object)
  • o·ver·cher·ished, adjective
  • un·cher·ished, adjective
  • un·cher·ish·ing, adjective
  • well-cherished, adjective

Words Nearby cherish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cherish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cherish

cherish

/ (ˈtʃɛrɪʃ) /


verb(tr)
  1. to show great tenderness for; treasure

  2. to cling fondly to (a hope, idea, etc); nurse: to cherish ambitions

Origin of cherish

1
C14: from Old French cherir, from cher dear, from Latin cārus

Derived forms of cherish

  • cherishable, adjective
  • cherisher, noun
  • cherishingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012