- to show great tenderness for; treasure
- to cling fondly to (a hope, idea, etc); nurse: to cherish ambitions
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cher•ish /ˈtʃɛrɪʃ/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to regard as valuable or precious:The early settlers cherished freedom.
- to care for tenderly and with love;
nurture:cherished his children. - to cling fondly to:to cherish a memory.
cher•ish
(cher′ish),USA pronunciation v.t.
cher′ish•a•ble, adj.
cher′ish•er, n.
cher′ish•ing•ly, adv.
- to hold or treat as dear;
feel love for:to cherish one's native land. - to care for tenderly;
nurture:to cherish a child. - to cling fondly or inveterately to:to cherish a memory.
- Latin cārus) + -iss -ish2; akin to charity
- Middle French cheriss- (long stem of cherir), equivalent. to cher dear (
- Middle English cherisshen 1275–1325
cher′ish•er, n.
cher′ish•ing•ly, adv.
- 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, esp. in order to promote, increase, or strengthen it:to foster a hope; to foster enmity.Harbor suggests giving shelter to or entertaining something undesirable, esp. evil thoughts or intentions:to harbor malice or a grudge. 2. nurse, nourish, sustain.
- 2. neglect. 3. relinquish.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cherish /ˈtʃɛrɪʃ/ vb (transitive)
'cherished' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
dream
- fond
- old
- pet
- precious
- abandon
- beloved
- bosom
- darling
- dear
- iconoclast
- lares and penates
- loved
- loved one
- pride
- quality time
- well-cherished
- widow