Prize means something valuable awarded to someone who wins a competition or does something exceptionally well. When you win first place in the science fair, you might receive a prize like a trophy, medal, or gift certificate. Olympic athletes compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals as prizes. Some prizes are tangible objects you can hold, while others might be money or special opportunities.

The word can also describe something you treasure or value highly. Your prized baseball card collection or your grandmother's prized recipe for apple pie are things you consider especially precious. When something is described as a prize tomato or a prize horse, it means it's an exceptionally fine example worth showing off or competing with.

As a verb, to prize something means to value it greatly. You might prize your friendship with your best friend, or prize the freedom to read whatever books interest you.

People sometimes confuse prize with pry, which means to force something open or to snoop into other people's business. But when you prize something, you're treasuring it, not trying to pry it apart.