precious
153
4.1
- adjective
- /ˈprɛʃəs/
:
precioso
- There were still some matches left, but they were too precious to use unnecessarily.
- precious metals
- precious stones
- rare and precious
It's like a they call it a precious plant extract oil.
- It's like a they call it a precious plant extract oil.
- The rule of law is a very precious British legacy.
- How rare it is, what we have, like how precious the Earth is.
- Something shiny is not necessarily something precious or valuable.
- And how did you, you know, cut those precious pages of the script?
- It seems like they stored their precious manuscripts in this in this cave.
- And this really speaks to how precious these organs are.
- And they give the thing with that you know is most precious, which is time.
- Because the fact is, you know what a precious gift is being given to your child.
- She can dive and she can like feel where the precious stones would be.
- Then it just seems like such a an incredible precious opportunity.
Examples
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The rule of law is a very precious British legacy.
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This diamond is one of the most precious gemstones in the world.
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Do you know how precious life is?
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How rare it is, what we have, like how precious the Earth is.
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And today, he spoke about a threat to the one thing most precious to him, money.
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And love is the most precious and beautiful resource.
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And we're setting the stages with our kids, our most precious assets in the world.
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Students share their findings in an effort to protect a precious resource.
Academic text (2013) -
It does mean being smart about how we use our precious energy resources.
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In doing this, he gave Octavius the most precious thing he possessed.
Synonyms
158
2.3
Worth a lot of money, like a painting or necklace
113
4.2
So valuable that you cannot measure it in money
1
3.4
Very valuable to someone because they care about it
1
4.1
A thing people keep because they love it and it brings memories
1
3.4
Very much loved and kept, like a special photo or memory
Antonyms
Idioms
Compounds
1
3.6
A stone like amethyst or turquoise used in jewelry that costs less than diamonds
A hard red or pink stony skeleton from Mediterranean sea animals used for jewelry
How Valuable
Surface Forms
Morphology
precious = preci + ous
Although the sense relates to value, the internal elements ('preci-' + '-ous') are not transparently interpretable by learners as 'valuable' from component parts alone.
Etymology
Precious comes from the Latin word pretium meaning 'price' and the same root as price, so we use precious for things that are rare or expensive, like gems or a valuable vase.