1
: something offered or striven for in competition or in contests of chance
also
: premium sense 1d
2
: something exceptionally desirable
3
archaic
: a contest for a reward : competition
1
a
: awarded or worthy of a prize
b
: awarded as a prize
c
: entered for the sake of a prize
a prize drawing
2
: outstanding of a kind
raised prize hogs
prized; prizing
1
: something taken by force, stratagem, or threat
especially
: property lawfully captured at sea in time of war
2
: an act of capturing or taking
especially
: the wartime capture of a ship and its cargo at sea
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- lovely
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Verb (1)
Verb (2)
Examples of prize in a Sentence
Adjective
Dad brought back his prize catch, a three-foot striped bass.
I felt a prize fool for making such a stupid mistake.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fred Bronson, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2024
Check your local branch or the public library’s website for a schedule of events to include activities, prizes, story times, crafts and special performances.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2024
In January, Stray launched the Prosocial Ranking Challenge, a competition with a $60,000 prize fund aiming to spur development of feed-ranking algorithms that prioritize socially desirable outcomes, based on measures of users’ well-being and how informative a feed is.
—Elana Klein, WIRED, 29 Apr. 2024
The Wisconsin Lottery recommends arriving by 3:30 p.m. for most prizes and 2 p.m. for prizes of $50,000 or more to allow enough time to process your ticket.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2024
Now in its 11th year, the awards come with an unrestricted cash prize of $525,000 per artist, and up to $25,000 in retirement funds.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2024
To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website.
Oregon player comes forward as $1.3 billion Powerball lottery winner, officials say Two best friends are $1 million richer after winning the Powerball prize in New Jersey A Tarot reading told her money was coming.
—USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
The bakery, located in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, beat out 172 competitors to win this year’s coveted prize.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 27 Apr. 2024
No small prizes for matching the first five numbers were sold.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Apr. 2024
Maanvi Singh, WIRED, 20 Apr. 2024
That affordability is prized, especially in these inflationary times.
—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
The somewhat under-the-radar area, prized for its natural beauty, includes the prestigious Quinta do Lago resort, which borders the Ria Formosa National Park.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2024
As a result, wind and solar developers prize existing transmission lines, like those built to carry power from Colstrip and other coal plants to big cities.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Underneath the behaviors around food is often an intricate web of trauma, anxiety, and even genetic predisposition, all set against the backdrop of a culture that prizes thinness.
—Cole Kazdin, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
After baseball was introduced in Japan in 1872, tapping into a culture that prizes discipline and technique over raw strength and speed, its popularity exploded there.
—Jill Cowan, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
This classic Mediterranean herb is prized for its downy leaves, purple blooms, and strong, heady fragrance.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2024
Bright orange like a Circus Peanut with a fire engine red stripe, palominos are prized in stocker-rich states.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
Alyona and Heil are offering a prize to one lucky donor.
—Fred Bronson, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2024
Check your local branch or the public library’s website for a schedule of events to include activities, prizes, story times, crafts and special performances.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2024
In January, Stray launched the Prosocial Ranking Challenge, a competition with a $60,000 prize fund aiming to spur development of feed-ranking algorithms that prioritize socially desirable outcomes, based on measures of users’ well-being and how informative a feed is.
—Elana Klein, WIRED, 29 Apr. 2024
The Wisconsin Lottery recommends arriving by 3:30 p.m. for most prizes and 2 p.m. for prizes of $50,000 or more to allow enough time to process your ticket.
—Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2024
Now in its 11th year, the awards come with an unrestricted cash prize of $525,000 per artist, and up to $25,000 in retirement funds.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2024
To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website.
Oregon player comes forward as $1.3 billion Powerball lottery winner, officials say Two best friends are $1 million richer after winning the Powerball prize in New Jersey A Tarot reading told her money was coming.
—USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
The bakery, located in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, beat out 172 competitors to win this year’s coveted prize.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 27 Apr. 2024
No small prizes for matching the first five numbers were sold.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Apr. 2024
Verb
The water rights Greenstone purchased in Cibola and sold to Queen Creek are fourth priority—permanently secured and prized.
—Maanvi Singh, WIRED, 20 Apr. 2024
That affordability is prized, especially in these inflationary times.
—Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
The somewhat under-the-radar area, prized for its natural beauty, includes the prestigious Quinta do Lago resort, which borders the Ria Formosa National Park.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2024
As a result, wind and solar developers prize existing transmission lines, like those built to carry power from Colstrip and other coal plants to big cities.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Underneath the behaviors around food is often an intricate web of trauma, anxiety, and even genetic predisposition, all set against the backdrop of a culture that prizes thinness.
—Cole Kazdin, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
After baseball was introduced in Japan in 1872, tapping into a culture that prizes discipline and technique over raw strength and speed, its popularity exploded there.
—Jill Cowan, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
This classic Mediterranean herb is prized for its downy leaves, purple blooms, and strong, heady fragrance.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2024
Bright orange like a Circus Peanut with a fire engine red stripe, palominos are prized in stocker-rich states.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prize
Cite this Entry
“Prize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prize. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prize
1 of 5 noun1
: something won or to be won in a contest
2
: something unusually valuable or eagerly sought
prize
2 of 5 adjective1
a
: awarded a prize
a prize essay
b
: awarded as a prize
prize money
2
: outstanding of its kind
a prize fool
a prize student
prize
4 of 5 noun
: something taken (as in war) especially at sea
Etymology
Noun
Middle English pris "prize, price, value," from early French pris (same meaning), from Latin pretium "price, money" — related to price
Verb
Middle English prisen "to appraise, esteem," from early French prisier (same meaning), from Latin pretiare (same meaning), from earlier pretium (noun) "price, value"
Noun
Middle English prise "something taken by force or threat," from early French prise "taking, seizure," from prendre "to take," from Latin prehendere "to take"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share