prize
/prize/
Definition
Noun:
- An award given for victory or superiority in a contest, competition, or lottery: Something of value (such as money, a trophy, or a trip) won or given as a reward.
- Something taken by force, especially in war; loot or plunder: Goods, money, or property captured, especially at sea.
- (Figurative) Something exceptionally valuable or desirable: A highly valued possession or goal.
Verb:
- To value something highly; to cherish: To regard or esteem something as very important or precious.
- To force something open or apart with a lever; to pry: To use force or a tool to move, lift, or open something.
Adjective:
- Of superior quality; excellent: Describing something that is first-rate or outstanding.
- (Often ironic) Of a notable or extreme degree: Used to emphasize a particular quality, often negatively (e.g., a great fool).
Usage Examples
Noun:
- She won the first prize in the science fair. (She received the top award.)
- The pirate ship was loaded with prize captured from merchant vessels. (The ship was full of loot.)
- To him, her friendship was the greatest prize. (Her friendship was his most valued possession.)
Verb:
- I prize the time I spend with my family. (I value that time greatly.)
- We had to prize the rusty lid off the old chest. (We had to force the lid open with a tool.)
Adjective:
- He owns a prize collection of rare stamps. (He owns an excellent, high-quality collection.)
- That was a prize example of bad manners. (That was a very notable example of bad manners.)
Advanced Usage
- "Prize possession": A person's most valued or cherished belonging.
- His grandfather's watch is his prize possession.
- "Prize money": Money offered as a reward in a competition or contest.
- The prize money for the tournament is one million dollars.
- "To play one's prize" (archaic): To act for one's own advantage.
Variants and Related Words
- Pry/Prise (verb): A variant spelling/verb meaning to force open or obtain with difficulty. (e.g., )
- Prize-winning (adj): Having won a prize; award-winning.
- She is a prize-winning author.
- Prizefight (n): A professional boxing match for a money prize. (This is a compound word listed separately as per instruction.)
Synonyms
- Noun (award): Award, trophy, reward, premium.
- Verb (value): Cherish, treasure, value, esteem.
- Verb (pry): Lever, jimmy, force, wrench.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Prize" as a verb meaning "to value" does not commonly form phrasal verbs. The verb form related to "prying" is more commonly "pry" or "prise.") - Prize out/off/open: To remove or open something by forcing it. - He prized the nails out of the board. - Can you prize the cap off this bottle?
Related Idioms
- "Prize catch": A very desirable acquisition or person (e.g., a talented employee, a sought-after romantic partner).
- Signing that star player was a real prize catch for the team.
- "No prize for guessing": Used to say that something is very obvious or easy to deduce.
- There's no prize for guessing who ate the last cookie.
- "Consolation prize": A small prize given to someone who has not won a contest, to make them feel less disappointed.
- Everyone who entered received a consolation prize.
Adjective
- of superior grade
- choice wines
- prime beef
- prize carnations
- quality paper
- select peaches
Noun
- something given as a token of victory
- goods or money obtained illegally
- something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery
- the prize was a free trip to Europe
Verb
- regard highly; think much of
- I respect his judgement
- We prize his creativity
- to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
- The burglar jimmied the lock: Raccoons managed to pry the lid off the garbage pail
- hold dear
- I prize these old photographs
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