51Թ

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View synonyms for

precious

[ presh-uhs ]

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:

  4. affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice:

    precious manners.

  5. flagrant; gross:

    a precious fool.



noun

  1. a dearly beloved person; darling.

adverb

  1. extremely; very:

    She wastes precious little time.

precious

/ ˈɛʃə /

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!

“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

adverb

  1. informal.
    (intensifier)

    there's precious little left

“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ𳦾dzܲԱ, noun
  • ˈ𳦾dzܲ, adverb
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • cdzܲ· adverb
  • cdzܲ·Ա noun
  • ԴDz·cdzܲ adjective
  • non·cdzܲ· adverb
  • non·cdzܲ·Ա noun
  • ܲ·cdzܲ adjective
  • un·cdzܲ· adverb
  • un·cdzܲ·Ա noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of precious1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English preciose (from Old French precios ), from Latin پōܲ “costly, valuable,” equivalent to preti(um) “price, value, worth” ( price ) + -ōܲ -ous
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of precious1

C13: from Old French precios, from Latin پōܲ valuable, from pretium price, value
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s a gripping saga that consistently makes unexpected turns to keep the viewer held by their collar, eyes wide, waiting to see what will happen to Marshall, Frances and their precious mushroom next.

From

You wonder on one hand how anybody could do this to a beautiful child, a precious child who deserved to live.

From

There are only eight weeks left so transfers are precious, every week matters that little bit more and you don't want to leave anything on the table.

From

Despite growing concerns about the effect it could have on our health, braiding is a precious heirloom for this family - and for many other black women - passed down from generation to generation.

From

And perhaps because we’ve largely tried to buy mostly used and secondhand, the sacrifice felt most acutely has been in the loss of our most precious resource: time.

From

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