Dictionary / cherish
cherish
- verb
- from Old French
To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “cherish” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
verb
- To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care.
- To have a deep appreciation of; to hold dear.
I cherish your friendship.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- obsoleteTo cheer, to gladden.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (1)
- verbbe fond of; be attached to — also: care for, hold dear, treasure
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)cherish
- Middle Englishcharish
- Old Frenchcheriss-
- Old Frenchcher
- Proto-Indo-European*keh₂- “to desire, wish” + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs)
From Middle English charish, cherishen (“to have affection for, hold dear, treat kindly; to esteem, respect; to cherish; to take care of; to greet; to entertain, treat hospitably; to cheer; to encourage, incite”), from Old French cheriss-, chieriss-, extended stem of cherir, chierir (“to cherish”) (modern French chérir (“to cherish”)), from cher, chier (“dear, dearest”) (from Latin cārus (“beloved, dear”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂- (“to desire, wish”)) + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs).
Derivatives — words built from “cherish”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “cherish” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “cherish” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
cherish v. t. [F. ch, fr. cher dear, fr. L. carus. See Caress, Finish.]
- To treat with tenderness and affection; to nurture with care; to protect and aid.
- To hold dear; to embrace with interest; to indulge; to encourage; to foster; to promote; as, to cherish religious principle.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
verbMeaning: To have a deep appreciation of; to hold dear.
I cherish your friendship.
his long-cherished dream
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
cherish
/ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/ · cher·ish
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
cherish
/ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/ · cher·ish · verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “cherish” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “cherish” and what each means:
Step 4 — Original meaning
Read the etymology on the page. What does it tell you about the word’s earlier meaning?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 5 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — cherish
Origin: B. Old French (Old French cheriss-)
Journey: English cherish ← Middle English charish ← Old French cheriss- ← Old French cher ← Proto-Indo-European *keh₂- + -ir
Some derivatives: cherishable, cherished, cherisher, cherishing, cherishingly, cherishly, cherishment, overcherish
Built from: *keh₂- “to desire, wish” + -ir
Etymology: From Middle English charish, cherishen (“to have affection for, hold dear, treat kindly; to esteem, respect; to cherish; to take care of; to greet; to entertain, treat hospitably; to cheer; to encourage, incite”), from Old French cheriss-, chieriss-, extended stem of cherir, chierir (“to cherish”) (modern French chérir (“to cherish”)), from cher, chier (“dear, dearest”) (from Latin cārus (“beloved, dear”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂- (“to desire, wish”)) + -ir (suffix forming infinitives of second conjugation verbs).
Sources: Wiktionary “cherish” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cherish#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/cherish