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.
"While we honor his devotion, human life is precious and must be preserved to serve the long-term struggle for Tibet," Tsering said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Fashion mores and advancements in global trade brought the precious commodity to new heights between 1880 and 1914, during what is known as the Great Pearl Boom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Their employer, general goods store Habita, has apologised for the "loss of two precious lives".
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Analysts at Nomura describe it as a classic "picks and shovels" trade, a riff on how selling tools during a gold rush can earn people more than searching for the precious metal.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
“No, Mima, it is so precious to you. How could I take your oud?”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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.
