Meaning & use
treasure
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A store of gold, jewels or other precious things, often hidden away.
Grammar: Uncountable for the whole hoard: buried treasure; countable for a single prized item.
Patterns
- treasure of something
Pirates buried their treasure on a remote island.
Divers found sunken treasure off the coast.
The children followed the map to the hidden treasure.
nouncountable
A valuable object, especially one with historical or cultural importance.
Grammar: Often plural: national treasures.
Patterns
- a national treasure
The museum holds treasures from ancient Egypt.
Their old photo album is a family treasure.
The village church is a local treasure.
nouncountableinformal
A person or thing loved and valued very much.
Grammar: Friendly and affectionate.
Our babysitter is an absolute treasure.
You're a treasure for helping me move.
The old bookshop is a treasure to the neighborhood.
verbtransitive
To value something very highly and take great care of it.
Grammar: Takes an object: treasure a memory.
Patterns
- treasure something
- treasure someone
I treasure the letters my grandmother wrote.
She treasured every moment of the trip.
They treasure their friendship.
Word forms
| plural | treasures |
|---|---|
| third person singular | treasures |
| past tense | treasured |
| past participle | treasured |
| -ing form | treasuring |
Common combinations
- buried treasure
- They dug up buried treasure.
- treasure hunt
- We held a treasure hunt in the garden.
- national treasure
- The singer is a national treasure.
- treasure chest
- A treasure chest sat in the cave.
- treasure a memory
- She would treasure that memory forever.
Synonyms and how they differ
- riches
- Riches means great wealth in general, not only valuable objects.
- hoard
- Hoard suggests a secret stash, often gathered greedily.
- cherish
- Cherish as a verb stresses loving care and warmth, much like treasure.
- prize
- Prize as a verb suggests valuing highly because of rarity or quality.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: treasure or treasury? treasure or measure?
treasure vs treasury
Treasury is where funds are kept or the government's finance department, while treasure is the valuables themselves.
treasure vs measure
Measure sounds similar but concerns size or amount.
Practice
She will always ___ the necklace her grandmother gave her.
Choose one answer.
Treasure as a verb means to value highly. The other words rhyme but do not fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “treasure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.