precious

American  

[presh-uhs] / ˈprɛʃ əs /

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.

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noun

1. a dearly beloved person; darling.

adverb

1. extremely; very.

   She wastes precious little time.

precious British  

/ 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!

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adverb

1. informal (intensifier)

   there's precious little left

Synonym Usage

See valuable.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preciousness
  noun
• unpreciousness
  noun
• nonprecious
  adjective
• nonpreciously
  adverb
• unpreciously
  adverb
• unprecious
  adjective
• preciously
  adverb
• nonpreciousness
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

David Baerwald holds up his most precious possession so that it’s visible on our video conference: a very old violin in a very old, battered case.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Music is perhaps the purest of these art forms, tapping into our lizard brains to regulate our emotions that are seeking to make sense of this precious yet maddening existence.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

The dollar and Treasury yields continue to fluctuate at elevated levels, leaving precious metals without a clear directional catalyst.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Many of the country's rebel groups rely on mining precious minerals to fund their campaigns, with lax safety measures making mine collapses and other accidents common, according to AFP.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

A pinch of the precious salt and a few bean sprouts filled her with energy for a while, but it wore off.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer