adjective

precious

PREHSH-uhs

adjective

Of great value or worth.

"Clean water is a precious resource in that part of the world."

"She kept the letters as her most precious possessions."

Deeply loved or cherished.

"Every moment with his newborn daughter felt precious."

Overly fussy, delicate, or affected — used somewhat critically.

"His writing style got a bit precious in places, full of ornate turns of phrase."

How to Use Precious

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething worth a lot, either in money or in emotional value — or, in a more critical sense, someone acting overly delicate or self-important about small things.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the affectionate sense (\"my precious memories\") with the critical one (\"his precious little rules\") — tone and context tell them apart.

Common pairings

precious metal precious memories precious little time

Word Forms

more precious comparative, preciouses plural, most precious superlative

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Clean water is a _____ resource in that part of the world.

Etymology

From Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus (\"costly, valuable\"), from pretium, \"price\" — the same root as \"price\" itself.

Rhymes for precious

yous nous pious joyous famous odious porous mucous Aldous heinous ominous curious

See all rhymes for precious →