prize
1 Americannoun
-
a reward for victory or superiority, as in a contest or competition.
- Synonyms:
- premium
-
something that is won in a lottery or the like.
-
anything striven for, worth striving for, or much valued.
-
something seized or captured, especially an enemy's ship and cargo captured at sea in wartime.
-
the act of taking or capturing, especially a ship at sea.
-
Archaic. a contest or match.
adjective
-
having won a prize.
a prize bull; a prize play.
-
worthy of a prize.
-
given or awarded as a prize.
-
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)
-
prizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prized,
past participle, past
-
prizing
present participle
-
to value or esteem highly.
-
to estimate the worth or value of.
noun
noun
-
-
a reward or honour for victory or for having won a contest, competition, etc
-
( as modifier )
prize jockey
prize essay
-
-
something given to the winner of any game of chance, lottery, etc
-
something striven for
-
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.
Synonym Usage
See reward.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
prizesimple
-
prizessimple
-
have prizedperfect
-
has prizedperfect
-
am prizingprogressive
-
are prizingprogressive
-
is prizingprogressive
-
have been prizingperfect progressive
-
has been prizingperfect progressive
Past
-
prizedsimple
-
had prizedperfect
-
was prizingprogressive
-
were prizingprogressive
-
had been prizingperfect progressive
Future
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”; see 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; see prize 1
Explanation
A prize is the reward or recognition a winner gets. When you win first prize in your state spelling bee, you might get a medal and a trip to the national competition in Washington, DC. Many prizes are given for hard work, athletic skill, or superior intellect, but it's also possible to win a prize from sheer good luck. The prize for a winning lottery ticket, for example, might be a million dollars. If your dog comes in first at an obedience competition, you can call her your "prize pup." And if you adore and value that dog more than anything else, you can say you prize her.
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.
See Examples For:
And does it mean - far more enticingly - he has his sights set on two more major tournaments and two more chances to grasp the prize that has eluded him at international level?
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Pope Leo XIV's upcoming trip to Argentina, the first papal visit in 39 years, is a sort of consolation prize for the homeland of predecessor Francis, who disappointed his compatriots by never returning as pontiff.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
She has won a £50,000 cash prize and a recording contract, with her first ever single, a cover of The Beatles classic Blackbird, now released.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
He also suggested he no longer wanted Norwegian immigrants coming to the United States because he had not received the prize.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Stop staring at him and pay attention. Coach will be peeved if you don’t know the drill when we get in the pool. Keep your eye on the prize, okay?”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
His sriracha honey turkey jerky was Holmes’s prized snack at a Texas federal prison.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
A 53-year-old Tejano singer who had a number of hits in the genre in the 1990s, Pulido was one of the most prized recruits for Democrats this year.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
One of its most striking features is an approximately 11,000-square-foot, air-conditioned collector’s garage, which once housed dozens of Foreman’s prized vehicles.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
With distinct Gothic-style design details and appearances in many movies and TV shows, Los Feliz’s Shakespeare Bridge has become a prized neighborhood emblem.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
She did not fully trust the admiral, and so did not mention that Lord Fredrick’s most prized possession was an almanac with all the full-moon dates circled.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Instead, Starc took four wickets in six deliveries with the new ball, first prizing out Ryan Rickelton for 42 and Marco Jansen 52.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
It begins in vulnerability—a future cold day, redeemed by tonight’s memory—and ends in a plea that the beloved change nothing, prizing acceptance over perfection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The Monster survey showed recent grads are prizing job security over career growth.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 3, 2026
No one would argue that film, as an art form or a business, benefited from the prizing of the few to the detriment of the many.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2023
Both were thoroughgoing materialists, not in prizing possessions but in holding that matter alone provided the underpinnings of the world.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
McHugh's prizes include a £50,000 cash prize and a recording contract, with her first ever single, a cover of The Beatles classic Blackbird, now released.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
But he wins it despite not lifting either of football's biggest prizes last season, having lost in both the World Cup and Champions League semi-finals.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, still among the most prestigious prizes any movie can claim, “Fjord” aims for both a quiet, subtle power and the directness of a sledgehammer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
He also prizes the laboratory of the recording studio, especially once the band has left.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
There were two dozen tightly rolled, never-used silk umbrellas in that closet; prizes she had won.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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