prize
1 Americannoun
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a reward for victory or superiority, as in a contest or competition.
- Synonyms:
- premium
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something that is won in a lottery or the like.
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anything striven for, worth striving for, or much valued.
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something seized or captured, especially an enemy's ship and cargo captured at sea in wartime.
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the act of taking or capturing, especially a ship at sea.
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Archaic. a contest or match.
adjective
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having won a prize.
a prize bull; a prize play.
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worthy of a prize.
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given or awarded as a prize.
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being an excellent example of something, especially something undesirable.
He makes his daughter's husband feel like a prize idiot whenever they get together.
verb (used with object)
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to value or esteem highly.
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to estimate the worth or value of.
noun
noun
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a reward or honour for victory or for having won a contest, competition, etc
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( as modifier )
prize jockey
prize essay
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something given to the winner of any game of chance, lottery, etc
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something striven for
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any valuable property captured in time of war, esp a vessel
verb
verb
Usage
What are other ways to say prize?
To prize something is to value or esteem it highly. How is prize different from esteem, value, and appreciate? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Related Words
See reward.
Etymology
Origin of prize1
First recorded in 1250–1300; in senses referring to something seized, continuing Middle English prise “something captured, a seizing, requisition,” from Old French prise “capture (of a ship), booty,” from Vulgar Latin prēsa, prēnsa (unrecorded), from Latin pre(hē)nsa, noun use of feminine past participle of pre(he)ndere “to take, grasp, seize”; in senses referring to something won, spelling variant since the late 16th century of Middle English pris(e) price
Origin of prize2
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English prisen “to set a price, appraise,” from Middle French prisier, priser, variants of Old French preisier “to value, appraise”; praise
Origin of prize3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun prise, from Middle French prise “a hold, grasp,” from Latin pre(hē)nsa; prize 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Since early January, it has won top prizes from American film critics and Hollywood directors, and received the Golden Globe for best comedy.
From Barron's
Two stonemasons have won a snow sculpting prize as part of Team GB's entry to the World Snow Festival in Switzerland.
From BBC
"One Battle After Another" and "Sinners" go head-to-head in Los Angeles on Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild's prize gala, in the last major awards ceremony before the Oscars.
From Barron's
Paul Thomas Anderson’s darkly comedic action-thriller “One Battle After Another” won the top prize at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, continuing its dominating run through awards season.
From Los Angeles Times
British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean triumphed Saturday at the Brit Awards, claiming four prizes at the UK's biggest annual music celebration held for the first time in Manchester, northwest England.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
