1
as in jewels
a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament
a ring set with diamonds and other precious gems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in treasures
someone or something unusually desirable
that new car is a real gem she's dating a real gem these days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gems
Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026
Below, browse through cool-girl winter pants from Aritzia, Quince, Mango, and Zara, just to name a few gems.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 10 Jan. 2026
Though a handful of big names tend to dominate the conversation, skiers willing to venture beyond the usual suspects will find true gems.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
For as many times as a restaurant can be unsurprising, there are the gems that can turn an everyday ingredient or an unsuspecting meal into something unforgettable.
—Sunny Hubler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026
Thrift stores are never short on glassware, and there are plenty of gems hiding among the rows of glasses on the shelves.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 2 Jan. 2026
Our list spans 84 years of festive favorites and hidden gems.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
More than 56,000 gems are on sale right now, some of which are even an extra 30 percent off for a limited time.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
For a more private retreat, travelers can try small guesthouses like Rooms Hotel – Tbilisi and boutique gems such as Shota Rustaveli where comfort, design, and style are guaranteed for under $50 a night.
—Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Although these gems are sometimes paired with outdated or dirty lampshades, replacing a shade is an easy fix.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for gems
Noun
-
Archival jewels from Fred Leighton elevated the look.—
-
Luxury businesses that helped customers evade sales and use taxes by shipping empty boxes out of the city, while delivering the art, jewels, or other expensive items to million-dollar homes and offices.—
Noun
-
Access the park by snorkeling or diving, or via a glass-bottom boat, before heading to the offshoot site in neighboring Carriacou, hidden among the reefs of an island renowned for its treasures beneath the surface.—
-
The latest discovery isn't the first time that modern construction projects have yielded historical treasures in Europe.—
Verb
-
Cheerfully unconcerned with any notion of what real lawyers might wear to work, costume designer Paula Bradley creates her own fantasy version of office wear involving jewel-tone hats and gloves, diamonds the size of baseballs and enormous displays of cleavage.—
-
Astrochemistry could also benefit from the idea that diamonds in meteorites and rocks may form through cosmic particle irradiation, rather than solely through heat and pressure.—
Noun
-
Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks.—
-
Shoals of red-toothed triggerfish, radiant in cobalt blue, gathered by large rocks covered in purple anemones.—
Noun
-
For prizes of $50,000 or more, you are required to claim in person at the Hoosier Lottery headquarters in Indianapolis.—
-
Their popularity isn’t from winning expensive prizes, or because competitions pay big.—
Noun
-
The suit was covered in extra large green gemstones.—
-
After Sim Gems, Lubeck took me around the corner to a gemstones, diamonds, and jewelry wholesaler co-founded by Jay Moncada, whom Lubeck met at the Ethical Gem Fair in Brooklyn in 2023.—
Noun
-
Natural pearls develop organically when a tiny grain of sand becomes trapped inside a mollusk.—
-
Narrated by Colm Feore and James Hyndman in the English and French versions of the movie, respectively, the 17-minute stop-motion short follows a poor young boy who discovers a girl whose tears, evoked by a sad home life, turn into pristine pearls.—
Verb
-
From trad wives to spin classes to caregiving, Smithuijsen reveals how late stage capitalism strips women of agency and traps them in endless cycles of empty consumption and thankless labor.—
-
The cuffed hem also traps in heat and gives the pants a jogger appearance that looks good with sandals, sneakers, and boots.—
Cite this Entry
“Gems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gems. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share