Synonyms of cherish

cherish

verb

ˈcher-ish 

1

as in to love

to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for

promised to love and cherish her husband forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

• love
• adore
• fall for
• carry the torch (for)
• worship
• idolize
• revere
• idealize
• carry a torch (for)
• lose one's heart (to)
• venerate
• reverence
• adulate
• canonize
• dote (on)
• deify
• delight (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hate
• despise
• detest
• loathe
• abhor
• antagonize
• displease
• dislike
• disapprove (of)
• abominate
• execrate
• revolt
• repel
• turn off
• sicken
• repulse
• disgust
• disfavor
• nauseate

2

as in to treasure

to hold dear

we shall always cherish the keepsakes that our grandmother left us

Synonyms & Similar Words

• treasure
• love
• appreciate
• value
• enjoy
• admire
• respect
• like
• prize
• relish
• revere
• regard
• venerate
• reverence
• memorialize
• enshrine
• set store by
• delight (in)
• fancy
• revel (in)
• esteem
• dig
• caress
• adore
• groove (on)
• idolize
• worship
• apprize
• dote (on)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hate
• despise
• undervalue
• detest
• loathe
• abhor
• minimize
• forget
• slight
• disdain
• scorn
• depreciate
• disparage
• disvalue
• sniff (at)
• belittle
• abandon
• decry
• scout
• put down
• deprecate
• write off
• abominate
• neglect
• snub
• execrate
• cry down
• bad-mouth
• high-hat
• kiss off

3

as in to have

to keep in one's mind or heart

after all these years, she still cherishes the memory of her first summer romance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• have
• hold
• retain
• entertain
• cultivate
• harbor
• keep
• maintain
• remember
• bear
• preserve
• hold on to
• nurse
• treasure
• carry
• nurture
• sustain
• foster
• hang on to
• hug
• support
• stick (to)
• cling (to)
• cleave (to)
• fixate (on or upon)
• brood (about or over)
• obsess (about or over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• deny
• disregard
• refuse
• overlook
• drop
• neglect
• reject
• decline
• repudiate
• abandon
• discard
• scorn
• forsake
• renounce
• give up
• quit
• part (with)
• desert
• disdain
• erase
• abjure
• throw out
• expunge

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cherish different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of cherish are appreciate, prize, treasure, and value. While all these words mean "to hold in high estimation," cherish implies a special love and care for something.

cherishes her children above all

When can appreciate be used instead of cherish?

In some situations, the words appreciate and cherish are roughly equivalent. However, appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence.

appreciates fine wine

When would prize be a good substitute for cherish?

The synonyms prize and cherish are sometimes interchangeable, but prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses.

Americans prize their freedom

Where would treasure be a reasonable alternative to cherish?

Although the words treasure and cherish have much in common, treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious.

a treasured memento

When could value be used to replace cherish?

The meanings of value and cherish largely overlap; however, value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth.

values our friendship

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cherish

The irony of the Spurs being in town was that San Antonio’s 22-year-old phenom, Victor Wembanyama, knows as well as anyone that every opportunity to compete needs to be cherished. —Sam Amick, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026

The collection unfolded over 39 looks, built around pieces that both brand loyalists and aspiring Tory girls will cherish and return to over time. —Vogue, 30 Mar. 2026

Somewhere in the multiverse or over the rainbow or merely in a world where things fall more happily for University of Missouri athletics, the spirit of ‘76 — 1976, that is — still would be cherished by Mizzou fans. —Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026

In late December, Baldwin was accorded an honor that any proud son of Wisconsin would cherish — a Packers cheesehead hat with his name on it, courtesy of the franchise. —Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 25 Mar. 2026