Treasure — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Meaning & Definition of Treasure

Treasure (noun)

wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded
wealth of any kind or in any form, riches
a store of money in reserve

Treasure (verb)

to hold or keep as precious, cherish, prize
to collect and store up (something of value) for future use, hoard

Treasure (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

an asset that brings praise or renown

"ancient archaeological treasures that today would never be allowed out of the country of origin"

similar: boast, credit, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride, trophy, a feather in one's cap

related: pièce de résistance, showpiece, attraction, feature, highlight, distinction, excellence, merit, value, virtue

near: disgrace, dishonor, blemish, blot, defect, shame, slur, smirch, smudge, stain, stigma, eyesore, fright, horror, mess
someone or something unusually desirable

"in thanking them for their contributions, the mayor referred to the volunteers at the homeless shelter as the city's greatest treasures"

similar: catch, gem, jewel, pearl, plum, prize

related: blessing, find, godsend, goody, valuable, windfall, booty, loot, plunder, spoil, swag, brass ring, glory, pride, gold, jackpot, prize money, treasure trove

near: lemon, loser

Treasure (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

to hold dear

"I'll always treasure the time my friend and I spent together this past summer"

similar: appreciate, cherish, love, prize, value, set store by

related: delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, relish, revel (in), admire, apprize, esteem, regard, respect, revere, reverence, venerate, enshrine, memorialize, adore, caress, dote (on), idolize, worship

opposite: disvalue

near: undervalue, abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe, disdain, high-hat, scorn, scout, slight, sniff (at), snub, bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage, kiss off, minimize, put down, write off, abandon, forget, neglect
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place

"a trove of fine wines that he had lovingly treasured over the years"

similar: cache, hoard, lay away, lay by, lay in, lay up, put by, salt away, squirrel (away), stash, stockpile, store, stow, set aside

related: accumulate, acquire, amass, assemble, collect, concentrate, garner, gather, pick up, round up, scrape (together), heap, pile, stack, conserve, husband, preserve, bank, coffer, deposit, hold, keep, reserve, retain, save, set by, stock, withhold, bury, conceal, ensconce, secrete

near: cast, discard, ditch, dump, fling (off or away), jettison, throw away, throw out, unload, consume, squander, use up, waste, hand out, hand over, relinquish, surrender, blow, dissipate, fritter (away), lavish, misspend, run through, spend, deplete, exhaust, expend, impoverish, dispel, disperse, scatter

Related Entry: Treasure trove (noun)

Treasure trove is a different word from Treasure. The synonyms below are for treasure trove, not for treasure.

an abundant source

"the ancient city, having been almost perfectly preserved under volcanic ash for nearly 2,000 years, is proving to be a treasure trove of archaeological information"

similar: argosy, cornucopia, gold mine, mine, mother lode, wellspring

related: armory, repository, stockpot, store, storehouse, treasure-house, cache, hoard, stash, bonanza, Golconda, gravy train, honeypot

near: black hole, sinkhole

Related Entry: Treasure-house (noun)

Treasure-house is a different word from Treasure. The synonyms below are for treasure-house, not for treasure.

as in store, storehouse

similar: armory, repository, stockpot, store, storehouse, argosy, cornucopia, gold mine, mine, mother lode, treasure trove, wellspring, cache, hoard, stash, bonanza, Golconda, gravy train, honeypot

opposite: black hole, sinkhole

Related Entry: Treasure-houses (noun)

Treasure-houses is a different word from Treasure. The synonyms below are for treasure-houses, not for treasure.

as in stores, storehouses

similar: armories, repositories, stockpots, storehouses, stores, argosies, cornucopias, gold mines, mines, mother lodes, treasure troves, wellsprings, caches, hoards, stashes, bonanzas, Golcondas, gravy trains, honeypots

opposite: black holes, sinkholes

Related Entry: Treasure troves (noun)

Treasure troves is a different word from Treasure. The synonyms below are for treasure troves, not for treasure.

an abundant source

"the ancient city, having been almost perfectly preserved under volcanic ash for nearly 2,000 years, is proving to be a treasure trove of archaeological information"

similar: argosies, cornucopias, gold mines, mines, mother lodes, wellsprings

related: armories, repositories, stockpots, storehouses, stores, treasure-houses, caches, hoards, stashes, bonanzas, Golcondas, gravy trains, honeypots

near: black holes, sinkholes

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Treasure

The most common words with a similar meaning to Treasure:

boast, credit, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride, trophy, catch, gem, pearl, plum, prize, a feather in one's cap, appreciate, cherish, love, value, cache, hoard, lay away, lay by, lay in, lay up, put by, salt away, squirrel (away), stash, stockpile, store, stow, set store by, set aside

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Treasure

Words with the opposite meaning of Treasure:

disvalue

Related Words for Treasure

Near Antonyms of Treasure

disgrace, dishonor, blemish, blot, defect, shame, slur, smirch, smudge, stain, stigma, eyesore, fright, horror, mess, lemon, loser, undervalue, abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe, disdain, high-hat, scorn, scout, slight

Word Forms of Treasure

Inflections: treasured, treasuring

Origin & Etymology of Treasure

Middle English tresor, from Anglo-French, from Latin thesaurus thesaurus

First known use: 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Treasure

CEFR level: B2 English Vocabulary — Page 27
Topics: Shopping & Money

Words & Phrases Containing Treasure

treasure house, treasure trove, treasure chest, treasure hunt, national treasure

Frequently Asked Questions about Treasure

What does "Treasure" mean?

"Treasure" means wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Treasure"?

Other words for "Treasure" include boast, credit, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride and trophy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Treasure" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Treasure"?

There are 113 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Treasure". Common alternatives include boast, credit, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride, trophy, catch and gem.

What is the opposite of "Treasure"?

Antonyms of "Treasure" include disvalue. Near antonyms include disgrace, dishonor, blemish and blot.

How do you use "Treasure" in a sentence?

Examples of "Treasure" in a sentence: "ancient archaeological treasures that today would never be allowed out of the country of origin"; "in thanking them for their contributions, the mayor referred to the volunteers at the homeless shelter as the city's greatest treasures"; "I'll always treasure the time my friend and I spent together this past summer".

Is "Treasure" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Treasure" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Treasure" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Treasure" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Treasure"?

"Treasure" is pronounced /ˈtre-zhər/ and divided into syllables as trea·sure.