precious

[ presh-uhs ]

/ ˈprɛʃ əs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: precious / preciouses on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice: precious manners.

flagrant; gross: a precious fool.

noun

a dearly beloved person; darling.

adverb

extremely; very: She wastes precious little time.

OTHER WORDS FOR precious

3 darling, cherished.

See synonyms for precious on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

TEST YOUR MERIT ON THESE NEW WORDS IN 2021

The Dictionary added new words and definition to our vast collection, and we want to see how well-versed you are in the formally recognized new lingo. Take the quiz!

Question 1 of 8

What does JEDI stand for?

justice, equity, diversity, inclusion

justice, energy, determination, instruction

joy, equality, diversity, involvement

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

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

synonym study for precious

1. See valuable.

OTHER WORDS FROM precious

pre·cious·ly, adverbpre·cious·ness, nounnon·pre·cious, adjectivenon·pre·cious·ly, adverb

non·pre·cious·ness, nounun·pre·cious, adjectiveun·pre·cious·ly, adverbun·pre·cious·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use precious in a sentence

My clients lost precious years with loved ones, plus jobs and educational opportunities.
Supreme Court hears case of Muslims who say they were targeted for not becoming informants|Robert Barnes|October 6, 2020|Washington Post
James hauled anything regional and precious on board, as if later it would all prove to have been a myth if he didn’t carry some away as proof that it existed.
To Find Hope in American Cooking, James Beard Looked to the West Coast|John Birdsall|October 2, 2020|Eater
The government referred to the funds as “key clients” that provided “important sources of revenue and market intelligence” for the precious metals desk.
JP Morgan will pay record settlement to resolve ‘spoofing’ case against 15 traders|kdunn6|September 30, 2020|Fortune
Now I cover my precious with this clear polycarbonate armor.
Gear to Take Your Office on the Road|Graham Averill|September 27, 2020|Outside Online

A precious metals dealer who sold overpriced gold and silver to older conservatives was sued by the US federal government and 30 states this week for alleged large-scale fraud.
Metals.com is shut down by US regulators after years of allegedly scamming seniors|Jeremy B. Merrill|September 25, 2020|Quartz
What does the preciousness of our white flesh represent in contrast to burnt brown bodies created by our bombs?
Thank Goodness We’ve Got A Plan! Let the War Begin!|Michael Carson|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He stripped it of its preciousness, embraced its commercial, mass appeal, and turned the designer into a celebrity.
When Fashion Met Art: Andy Warhol & Halston’s Decades-Long Friendship|Raquel Laneri|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some of his preciousness is a veneer, however, for his fatalistic streak.
Ralph Fiennes Discusses ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ J. Lo, and That ‘Seinfeld’ Episode|Marlow Stern|March 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He would shake them with this horror, he would thrill them with this sense of the infinite preciousness and holiness of life!
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair
It was under your ministry I was brought to know Christ, and feel the preciousness of his love.'
The Sheepfold and the Common, Vol. II (of 2)|Timothy East
I know so well the preciousness of those smiles that tell one the mind is not held out of all reach of soothing.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)|George Eliot
I am uniformly cheerful now—feeling the preciousness of these moments, in which I still possess love and thought.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. III (of 3)|George Eliot
She had always felt a kind of sanctity about her mouth, a preciousness that must not be cheaply cast away.
What Will People Say?|Rupert Hughes

British Dictionary definitions for precious

precious

/ (ˈprɛʃəs) /

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 worthlessyou and your precious ideas!

adverb

informal (intensifier)there's precious little left

Derived forms of precious

preciously, adverbpreciousness, noun

Word Origin for precious

C13: from Old French precios, from Latin pretiōsus valuable, from pretium price, value

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

precious

OTHER WORDS FOR precious

Origin of precious

synonym study for precious

OTHER WORDS FROM precious

Words related to precious

How to use precious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for precious

Derived forms of precious

Word Origin for precious