prize Hear it!

prize¹ Definition

prize (prīz)

transitive verb prized, priz′·ing

  1. Obsolete to set a value upon; price
  2. to value highly; esteem

Etymology: ME pris: see price

noun

  1. something offered or given to the winner of a contest
  2. something won in a game of chance, lottery, etc.
  3. a reward, premium, or the like
  4. anything worth striving for; any enviable or highly valued possession
  5. Archaic a contest or match

adjective

  1. that has received a prize a prize novel
  2. worthy of a prize; first-rate
  3. given as a prize

prize² Definition

prize (prīz)

noun

  1. Obsolete the act of capturing
  2. something taken by force; esp., a captured enemy ship and its cargo
  3. Dialectal
    1. a tool for prying; lever
    2. leverage

Etymology: ME prise, a taking hold < OFr, a taking < fem. pp. of prendre, to take < L prehendere: see prehensile

transitive verb prized, priz′·ing

to pry, as with a lever

prize Synonyms

prize

n.

reward, award, honor, premium, accolade, medal, decoration, laurel, trophy, palm, crown, garland, cup, blue ribbon, citation, scholarship, fellowship, inducement, carrot, advantage, privilege, winnings, jackpot, purse, windfall, bounty, bonus, spoils, booty, plunder, loot, recompense, feather in one's cap, title, championship, first place, mark of honor, treasure, gem, meed, guerdon, payoff*, gravy*, plum*, haul*, take*; see also booty.

prize applies to something won in competition or, often, in a lottery or game of chance she won first prize in the golf tournament; award implies a decision by judges but does not connote overt competition we received an award for the best news story of the year; reward usually refers to something given in recompense for a good deed or for merit a reward was offered for the return of the lost briefcase; premium, in this connection, applies to a reward offered as an inducement to greater effort or production to pay a premium for advance delivery

prize Synonyms

prize

v.

value, esteem, cherish; see appreciate 2, like 1, 2. See syn. study at appreciate.

prize Usage Examples

Object

  • prise: Big Prizes A top prize for each of the Top 3 players.
  • item: Rhinos The Rhino horn is a highly prized item for practitioners of Asian medicine.
  • collection: Many older jigsaw puzzles have been rescued online jigsaw puzzle and restored online jigsaw puzzle and now form part of highly prized collections.
  • skill: We take reading and writing for granted, but then it was a highly prized skill.
  • year: Academic Prizes Each year, top students are honored for their exemplary performance.
  • commodity: The skins of jaguars were highly prized commodities, as recorded in the tribute pages of the Codex Mendoza.

Subject

  • collector: Complete examples in good original condition are the most highly prized by collectors.
  • employer: At the same time traditional customer service skills remain highly prized by employers.
  • culture: Rose has a very gentle but strong uplifting & balancing effect and it has been prized by all cultures since the beginning of civilization.

Adjective complement

open: First Lee Steele was allowed the freedom of SE7 to make hay on the left as the Addicks were prized open with ease.

Modifying Another Word

  • highly: Our raucous musical evenings are highly prized by the hard of hearing.
  • greatly: Hopton Wood Limestone from Middleton by Wirksworth was greatly prized.
  • especially: Especially prized were his hilarious put downs of Winston Churchill.
  • much: These were much prized for the quality of their wool.
  • particularly: Her love of shape and fine potting mean her ceramics are particularly prized in Japan.
  • so: The whole project of ordered rationality, so prized by the Enlightenment, was judged and found wanting.

Preposition: for

century: Prized for centuries by woodwind instrument makers for its tone.

Preposition: by

  • collector: Complete examples in good original condition are the most highly prized by collectors.
  • employer: At the same time traditional customer service skills remain highly prized by employers.
  • culture: Rose has a very gentle but strong uplifting & balancing effect and it has been prized by all cultures since the beginning of civilization.