prize

1
[ prahyz ]
See synonyms for: prizeprizedprizesprizing on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a reward for victory or superiority, as in a contest or competition.

  2. something that is won in a lottery or the like.

  1. anything striven for, worth striving for, or much valued.

  2. something seized or captured, especially an enemy's ship and cargo captured at sea in wartime.

  3. the act of taking or capturing, especially a ship at sea.

  4. Archaic. a contest or match.

adjective
  1. having won a prize: a prize bull; a prize play.

  2. worthy of a prize.

  1. given or awarded as a prize.

  2. being an excellent example of something, especially something undesirable: He makes his daughter's husband feel like a prize idiot whenever they get together.

Origin of prize

1
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

synonym study For prize

1. See reward.

Other words for prize

Other definitions for prize (2 of 3)

prize2
[ prahyz ]

verb (used with object),prized, priz·ing.
  1. to value or esteem highly.

  2. to estimate the worth or value of.

Origin of prize

2
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”; see praise

Other definitions for prize (3 of 3)

prize3

or prise

[ prahyz ]

noun, verb (used with object),prized, priz·ing.

Origin of prize

3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun prise, from Middle French prise “a hold, grasp,” from Latin pre(hē)nsa; see prize1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use prize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for prize (1 of 3)

prize1

/ (praɪz) /


noun
    • a reward or honour for victory or for having won a contest, competition, etc

    • (as modifier): prize jockey; prize essay

  1. something given to the winner of any game of chance, lottery, etc

  1. something striven for

  2. any valuable property captured in time of war, esp a vessel

Origin of prize

1
C14: from Old French prise a capture, from Latin prehendere to seize; influenced also by Middle English prise reward; see price

British Dictionary definitions for prize (2 of 3)

prize2

/ (praɪz) /


verb
  1. (tr) to esteem greatly; value highly

Origin of prize

2
C15 prise, from Old French preisier to praise

British Dictionary definitions for prize (3 of 3)

prize3

/ (praɪz) /


verb, noun
  1. a variant spelling of prise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012