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

• ˈpreciously, adverb
• ˈpreciousness, noun

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

“We need to be able to direct our attention to which patients are most likely to benefit from, in this case, frankly, a relatively precious resource of high titre convalescent plasma,” Musser says.

From Science News

Though the city’s planning department recently studied how sea level rise will affect its most precious assets, the threat hasn’t featured prominently in public discussion of the redevelopment plan.

From Voice of San Diego

Claiming that much of its business is an Israeli state secret, it has offered precious little public detail about its operations, customers, or safeguards.

From MIT Technology Review

Research-grade telescopes are a rare and precious commodity, and letting one sit idle for even a handful of nights is a drastic measure.

From Quanta Magazine

Lust motivates us to pursue a range of sexual partners—to explore and experiment with possible “mates”—while attraction encourages us to get selective, to conserve precious time and energy by coupling with someone specific.

From Nautilus

Being there teaches you to think quickly, edit yourself, and not get too precious about your own work.

From The Daily Beast

From a lyrical standpoint, there are precious few that can catch Kendrick.

From The Daily Beast

Before preservationists could put a stop to it, he and other looters had raided and destroyed precious relics buried at the site.

From The Daily Beast

Second, they threaten one of the most precious resources in our state: public education that is open to all children.

From The Daily Beast

The precious cargo: two American humanitarian workers with Ebola.

From The Daily Beast

But Mrs. Dodd, the present vicar's wife, retained the precious prerogative of choosing the book to be read at the monthly Dorcas.

From Project Gutenberg

Take care of a good name: for this shall continue with thee, more than a thousand treasures precious and great.

From Project Gutenberg

I am not fool enough to put my precious Naps in jeopardy, just when I am so deucedly in want of them, too.

From Project Gutenberg

What is, then, this precious drink I read of in my Shakespeare—so precious, that your lordship will not trust him to his butler?

From Project Gutenberg

Her smile was strangely distant, strangely precious: she was love and tenderness incarnate; her little hands held both of his.

From Project Gutenberg