1
: something offered or striven for in competition or in contests of chance
also
: premium sense 1d
2
: something exceptionally desirable
3
archaic
: a contest for a reward : competition
1
a
: awarded or worthy of a prize
b
: awarded as a prize
c
: entered for the sake of a prize
a prize drawing
2
: outstanding of a kind
raised prize hogs
prized; prizing
1
: something taken by force, stratagem, or threat
especially
: property lawfully captured at sea in time of war
2
: an act of capturing or taking
especially
: the wartime capture of a ship and its cargo at sea
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- lovely
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Verb (1)
Verb (2)
Examples of prize in a Sentence
Noun (1)
in the view of most of her friends, her current boyfriend is certainly no prize
the Pritzker Architecture Prize is the world's most prestigious honor in the field of architecture
Adjective
Dad brought back his prize catch, a three-foot striped bass.
I felt a prize fool for making such a stupid mistake.
Verb (1)
veterinarians know that pets are highly prized by their owners
Verb (2)
prizing the stubborn nails out of the board
trying to prize apart the jammed gears
Recent Examples on the Web
Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Earlier this year, three researchers were awarded a $700,000 prize for employing artificial intelligence to decipher a 2,000-year-old scroll that had been charred in the eruption.
—Hannah Peart, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
Eli Hager, ProPublica, 25 Oct. 2024
Boone and Roan’s entries are also the sort of pop confessionals that voters prize here, and both have a bit of that retro sound that the Academy rewards.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prize 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
More than a dozen Santa Clara alumni and other community leaders served as Opus Prize jurors, and 16 SCU students, faculty and staff members were ambassadors who joined on site visits to the prize finalists.
—Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Earlier this year, three researchers were awarded a $700,000 prize for employing artificial intelligence to decipher a 2,000-year-old scroll that had been charred in the eruption.
—Hannah Peart, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
Business generally prizes stability and predictability among its employees.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 25 Oct. 2024
Boone and Roan’s entries are also the sort of pop confessionals that voters prize here, and both have a bit of that retro sound that the Academy rewards.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prize
Dictionary Entries Near prize
Cite this Entry
“Prize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prize. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prize
1 of 5 noun1
: something won or to be won in a contest
2
: something unusually valuable or eagerly sought
prize
2 of 5 adjective1
a
: awarded a prize
a prize essay
b
: awarded as a prize
prize money
2
: outstanding of its kind
a prize fool
a prize student
prize
4 of 5 noun
: something taken (as in war) especially at sea
Etymology
Noun
Middle English pris "prize, price, value," from early French pris (same meaning), from Latin pretium "price, money" — related to price
Verb
Middle English prisen "to appraise, esteem," from early French prisier (same meaning), from Latin pretiare (same meaning), from earlier pretium (noun) "price, value"
Noun
Middle English prise "something taken by force or threat," from early French prise "taking, seizure," from prendre "to take," from Latin prehendere "to take"
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