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preciousness

preciousness

1 8.0
A quality of being too formal and showing off in style
  • noun
  • /ˈprɛʃəsnəs/
translation icon : preciosidad
  • That would have sounded like an exaggeration in the direction of preciousness to the college-teacher boy before he had begun to have a rugmaker inhabit him.

Examples

  • They say that death and limits give meaning to our lives, and if we were to live forever, our lives would lose their urgency and their preciousness.

    Blog text (18)
  • As a result, his art captured "the freshness and naturalness of our origins," rather than the "affectation and preciousness" of Italian Mannerism.

    Academic text (1992)
  • I (like everyone) sometimes hear myself qualified (as a writer) with intentionally depreciative adjectives: accusations of "preciousness," of "theoretical coquetry," of muffling, etc.

    Academic text (2005)
  • I will share my system with you in a minute, as soon as I try to rebut the charge that self-reference in pop music does not escape the curses of preciousness, self-regard, cliché, and portentousness it is subject to elsewhere.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Many people find the author's style to be full of unnecessary preciousness that detracts from the story.

  • The film's dialogue was criticized for its preciousness, making it feel artificial and forced.

  • Art critics often point out the preciousness in modern art that seems to prioritize style over substance.

Synonyms

preciosity
vspreciousness
  • Literature
9.9

A style that is too fussy and fancy in speech or writing

is identical in meaning but is the alternative form in usage
foppishness
vspreciousness
  • Offensive
9.9

A way of dressing and behaving that is very showy and vain

is about refined taste and style rather than personal vanity
frilliness
vspreciousness
7.2

A lot of extra decoration that looks showy

emphasizes fastidious refinement rather than ornamental excess

Antonyms

63 1.7

Being easy to understand and not complicated

A rough texture that is not smooth

How Affected

preciousness
1 8.0
neatness
7 1.0
casualness
3 3.7

Surface Forms

preciousness singular

Morphology

preciousness = precious (semi-transparent) = precious + ness

Formally 'precious' + '-ness' is transparent, but the sense 'overly fastidious' depends on a transferred/pejorative use of 'precious' that learners who only know the basic 'valuable' sense may not predict.

Etymology

The word preciousness can also mean being overly refined or fussy; this comes from how precious was used for things or manners that seemed very delicate or showy, so preciousness describes a style or behaviour that feels too careful or affected.