precious
Americanadjective
-
of high price or great value; very valuable or costly.
precious metals.
-
highly esteemed for some spiritual, nonmaterial, or moral quality.
precious memories.
-
dear; beloved.
a precious child.
- Synonyms:
- darling
-
affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice.
precious manners.
-
flagrant; gross.
a precious fool.
noun
adverb
adjective
-
beloved; dear; cherished
-
very costly or valuable
-
held in high esteem, esp in moral or spiritual matters
-
very fastidious or affected, as in speech, manners, etc
-
informal worthless
you and your precious ideas!
adverb
Synonym Usage
See valuable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of precious
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English preciose (from Old French precios ), from Latin pretiōsus “costly, valuable,” equivalent to preti(um) “price, value, worth” ( see price) + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
To call something precious is to describe it as highly valued. Think of a gemstone when you call your baby sister precious. Diamonds, emeralds and rubies are all precious stones and gold and silver are precious metals. If it is something valuable and treasured, it can be called precious too. Fresh water is a precious resource especially in desert countries. Many precious books and painting have been destroyed through fire and war. On a more personal note, guard your memories as they will always be precious to you.
Vocabulary lists containing precious
"Black Panther" Lingo
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 78-year-old journalist and his wife Precious Lunga will be seen navigating his diagnosis in a film that will receive its premiere next week.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Most Bryant rookie Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems cards have a red background and fetch around $300,000.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Precious metals fell back in reaction to higher tensions in the lead-up to peace talks to potentially end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Precious metals futures settled higher, getting a boost from Iran’s announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is open.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
One of the biggest, and certainly the one with the most dramatic name, was Most Precious Blood of Our Lord, also known as MPB.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
