treasure
Americannoun
-
treasures
plural
-
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)
-
treasures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
treasured,
past participle, past
-
treasuring
present participle
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
-
to prize highly as valuable, rare, or costly
-
to store up and save; hoard
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
treasuresimple
-
treasuressimple
-
have treasuredperfect
-
has treasuredperfect
-
am treasuringprogressive
-
are treasuringprogressive
-
is treasuringprogressive
-
have been treasuringperfect progressive
-
has been treasuringperfect progressive
Past
-
treasuredsimple
-
had treasuredperfect
-
was treasuringprogressive
-
were treasuringprogressive
-
had been treasuringperfect progressive
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
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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:
I know that entertainment giants whose works I treasure, from Martin Scorsese to Natasha Lyonne, are genuinely interested in the cinematic possibilities of A.I.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
A sketchbook from Whistler’s teenage years in St. Petersburg, Russia—where his father worked as an engineer—is an unexpected treasure in the show, and includes sensitive portrait sketches that establish Whistler’s skills as a draftsman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
"While there have been unforgettable highs and difficult moments, what I will treasure most are the people and experiences that have defined my journey," said Massey-Ellis.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
At the heart of Britain's coin factory, old Bank of England telephones are stripped down and dipped into giant vats to recover a hidden treasure: the gold in their circuits.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
“No! Without the treasure, we’d have nothing to bargain with. What about Zheng? What about taking the dagger back home where it belongs!”
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
The claw machine—that infamous promiser of childhood treasures, known for stealing your quarters and almost never yielding up its flimsy prizes—has gotten an upgrade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
But in the treasures of “The Museum of Imaginary Musical Instruments” there is something else: the “enduring fascination” of the possible, no less important for being imaginary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
When the pandemic hit, Bayouth found herself hooked on mudlarking YouTube videos, a practice in which people hunt for treasures on beaches, lakes and — in Bayouth’s case — England’s River Thames.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
And for 86 minutes, it assures us that some of the greatest cinematic treasures are also blissfully conflict-free.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
“It is one of Cupid’s many treasures, a reminder of better times. If you want it...”
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
“I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Here are several Angelenos who’ve passed along treasured items to their neighbors freely using the groups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
But like all magic tricks, everything was not quite as it seemed and moments later the treasured items returned.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Geoff is also a member of fan group The Murraynators, and has numerous Wimbledon stories about British tennis player Andy Murray as well as a treasured selfie with his hero.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
It’s getting a treasured place in my room when we’re done with the film, a reminder that there are people who believe in me and the message I want to send the world.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
"I hope you can now move on with your life, remembering the boys as you knew them, and treasuring the happy times you spent with them."
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025
Fill each pear with a scoop of ice cream, drizzle with honey, top with several grinds of pepper and eat immediately while treasuring the trees, the bees, summertime, life in general — all of it.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 1, 2023
“Now that it was becoming rarer for him, he was treasuring those experiences.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
The two are honorary starters for Sunday’s race - “Kurt will wave the green flag two-thousandths of a second after Ricky,” raceway president Kerry Tharp quipped - and will keep treasuring their moment.
From Washington Times ● May 12, 2023
“My poor dear Harriet! and have you actually found happiness in treasuring up these things?”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
