What does cherish mean?
To cherish is to love and protect someone or something with deep, tender affection, or to hold a memory, hope, or idea close in one's mind over time. A person might cherish a friendship, a family heirloom, or a childhood recollection; equally, one may cherish ambitions or beliefs that give life direction. The word implies more than mere liking — it suggests active, devoted care and an unwillingness to let the valued thing fade or be harmed. Because of its emotional warmth, cherish appears most naturally in personal, romantic, and reflective writing rather than formal or technical prose. It derives through Old French cherir, "to treat as dear," from Latin carus, the same root that gives us charity and caress. Common pairings include "cherish a memory" and "cherish the hope that." Its rhyming neighbor "perish" makes a striking contrast: what we cherish we strive to keep from perishing.
To feel deep affection for and lovingly protect someone or something.
"She cherished her grandmother's old piano above all her possessions."
Most commonly used with people, memories, and objects of sentimental value.
To keep a hope, belief, or ambition alive in one's mind over an extended period.
"He had cherished the dream of opening his own bakery since childhood."
Frequently appears in the phrase "cherish the hope that."
"Cherish" and "charity" are siblings — both descend from the Latin carus, meaning "dear," which is why the words we hold closest to our hearts share an ancient root.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cherish
Cherish comes from the Middle English cherischen, borrowed from Old French cherir, "to hold dear," formed on cher, "dear" (itself from Latin carus). The same Latin root carus produced charity (via caritas) and caress, making these words true cognates of cherish. The word has been in continuous use in English since the medieval period, retaining its core sense of loving care throughout its history.
Related word forms
How cherish is actually used
Cherish carries warm, tender, and often sentimental connotations, making it common in emotional, literary, and romantic contexts rather than neutral technical writing. It typically takes a person, memory, possession of sentimental value, or long-held hope as its object.
Easily confused with cherish
Flourish means to grow or thrive vigorously, while cherish means to love and protect something dearly.
Perish means to die or be destroyed; it sounds similar to but means nearly the opposite of cherish.