Cherish

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɛɹɪʃ/

Definitions

1. To hold with deep affection and maintain fondly in one's heart or mind
2. To keep something precious close through sustained care and emotional attachment
3. To feel and show strong affection while nurturing and protecting with care

Etymology: The verb "cherish" carries a whiff of the nursery, but its ancestry is Latin in the most literal sense of prized possession. Its root is Latin "carus," meaning "dear" or "beloved," which passed into Old French as "cher" and "chier," used for anything or anyone one held dear. From "cher" came the Old French verb "cherir," meaning to hold dear, and English borrowed it in Middle English as "cherishen." The early English senses were wider than the modern one. Middle English speakers used "cherishen" to mean not only to feel affection but also to esteem or respect someone, to treat a guest hospitably, to cheer someone up, or even to encourage or incite an action. Hospitality and encouragement were as much part of the word as tender feeling. Over time the sense narrowed toward emotional attachment and sustained care, so that the verb now suggests keeping something precious close. The fact that its distant root is simply "dear" explains why the verb never quite lost its sense of treating something as valuable.

Synonyms: treasure, value, appreciate, hold dear, adore

Antonyms: neglect, disregard, despise, abandon, scorn