treasure
Americannoun
-
wealth or riches stored or accumulated, especially in the form of precious metals, money, jewels, or plate.
- Synonyms:
- hoard
-
wealth, rich materials, or valuable things.
-
any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized.
This book was his chief treasure.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
wealth and riches, usually hoarded, esp in the form of money, precious metals, or gems
-
a thing or person that is highly prized or valued
verb
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to prize highly as valuable, rare, or costly
-
to store up and save; hoard
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have treasuredperfect
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has treasuredperfect 3rd person singular
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are treasuringprogressive
-
is treasuringprogressive 3rd person singular
-
treasuressingular 3rd person
-
has been treasuringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been treasuringperfect progressive
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treasuringparticiple
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am treasuringprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had treasuredperfect
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had been treasuringperfect progressive
-
treasuredparticiple
-
was treasuringprogressive singular
-
were treasuringprogressive plural
-
treasuredsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of treasure
First recorded in 1125–75; (for the noun) Middle English tresor, from Old French, from Gallo-Romance trēsaurus (unrecorded), from Latin thēsaurus “storehouse, hoard” ( see thesaurus); verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
Treasure is usually associated with riches — gold, jewels, doubloons — the stuff contained in pirates' treasure chests. However, you can also treasure things with purely sentimental value — like your pet rock or your blankie. The English word treasure comes from the Old French tresor, both meaning "something of great worth." Still, the French tresor sounds so much more luxurious than the English treasure, and that form is the chosen name for an expensive perfume. Worth is relative, though. Going back further, we find that the Latin word for treasury is thesaurus, which is what a book of synonyms is called. Guess the ancients always understood the richness — and worth — of words.
Vocabulary lists containing treasure
Words Every Pirate Should Know
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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Beowulf vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
A national treasure of a pairing which rolls off the tongue like Morecambe and Wise or Punch and Judy.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
“I’m going to treasure all the memories I had working with these two and everyone else,” Ganesh adds.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Yes, an experienced physician is a treasure, but sometimes older doctors don’t have time to keep up with advances in their field.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
“A major landmark and historic treasure was being treated like an extreme fixer-upper on HGTV’s ‘Property Brothers,’” she writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
“What do you think the treasure will be? Could it really be pirate’s booty like Dad said?”
From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon
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.
