precious

[ presh-uhs ]

adjective

1. of high price or great value; very valuable or costly:

   precious metals.

2. highly esteemed for some spiritual, nonmaterial, or moral quality:

   precious memories.

3. dear; beloved:

   a precious child.

   Synonyms: darling

4. affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice:

   precious manners.

5. flagrant; gross:

   a precious fool.

noun

1. a dearly beloved person; darling.

adverb

1. extremely; very:

   She wastes precious little time.

precious

/ ˈprɛʃəs /

adjective

1. beloved; dear; cherished
2. very costly or valuable
3. held in high esteem, esp in moral or spiritual matters
4. very fastidious or affected, as in speech, manners, etc
5. informal.
   worthless

   you and your precious ideas!

adverb

1. informal.
   (intensifier)

   there's precious little left

Derived Forms

• ˈpreciousness, noun
• ˈpreciously, adverb

Other Words From

• precious·ly adverb
• precious·ness noun
• non·precious adjective
• non·precious·ly adverb
• non·precious·ness noun
• un·precious adjective
• un·precious·ly adverb
• un·precious·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of precious¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English preciose (from Old French precios ), from Latin pretiōsus “costly, valuable,” equivalent to preti(um) “price, value, worth” ( price ) + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of precious¹

C13: from Old French precios, from Latin pretiōsus valuable, from pretium price, value

Synonym Study

See valuable.

Example Sentences

That is a precious back-up option - one which has helped Wales in the past - but Bellamy will be aiming to qualify automatically.

From BBC

Heritage Auctions' executive vice president Joe Maddalena said the slippers were precious and were probably "the most important prop in Hollywood history".

From BBC

There were stories everywhere - precious everyday memories, like the time she spent with her sister and the lively family discussions around the dinner table.

From BBC

A slim science fiction novel that looks at our “precious and precarious” world through the eyes of six astronauts on the International Space Station has won the 2024 Booker Prize.

From Los Angeles Times

He told the BBC he might have sought help to die if it had been an option after he was diagnosed, but now says life is precious and he is opposed to assisted dying.

From BBC