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
• set store on
• venerate
• reverence
• set store by
• memorialize
• enshrine
• delight (in)
• groove (on)
• fancy
• idolize
• revel (in)
• esteem
• adore
• caress
• dig
• dote (on)
• worship
• apprize

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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of cherish

The ones who stick it out LOVE their job and cherish the relationship built with their customers over many years of service. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025

Outside, in the buttery December sunlight, Rowan and Amelia vowed to cherish each other always, in sickness and in health, in poverty and wealth. —Becca Andrews, Them, 13 Jan. 2025

Checking off these goals gives you something to look forward to and shared moments to cherish. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

Her Taiwanese heritage and my Swedish background have cemented a foundation that grows and flourishes beyond all barriers, cherishing what SoCal and the world have to offer. —Claës Nordenskiöld, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025