cherishing

Verb

cherish (third-person singular simple present cherishes, present participle cherishing, simple past and past participle cherished)

1. To treat with affection, care, and tenderness; to nurture or protect with care.
   • [T]he ſame Sun vvhich only cheriſheth and gently vvarmes his Countrey men, halfe parboyle and tanne other people, and thoſe rayes vvhich ſcorch the aduſted ſoyles of Calabria and Spaine, only varniſh and guild the green hony-ſuckled plaines and hillocks of England; […]1642, James Howell, “Section XVII”, in Instructions for Forreine Travell. […], London: […] T. B. for Humprey Mosley [i.e., Humphrey Moseley] […], →OCLC, page 213
2. To have a deep appreciation of; to hold dear.
   • I cherish your friendship.

   Synonyms:

   prize, treasure, appreciate, bedear, esteem, hold dear, think much of, value

   Antonyms:

   despise

3. (obsolete) To cheer, to gladden.
   • And by the way, as was her wonted guize, / Her merry fitt ſhee freſhly gan to reare, / And did of ioy and iollitie deuize, / Her ſelfe to cheriſh, and her gueſt to cheare: […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 21, page 262

   Synonyms:

   elate, jollify, beatify, enrapture, begladden, blissen, bright, cheer, fetch, cheer up

See all 4 meanings of cherish