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
Related Words
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.
Within seconds, the loaves have been pulled apart, half a dozen men clutching onto precious pieces.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
This is a deeply unsettled season in California, with precious little hope the next governor — whoever he or she turns out to be — will make things better anytime soon.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
"Young lives are really precious and we should do everything we can to protect them," said Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of Meningitis Now.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
A finance ministry notification published Wednesday showed that levies on several precious metals and related products were raised in a move the government said was in the public’s interest.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
The band of wolf fur was tattered and filthy, but very precious.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
