precious

adjective
UK: /ˈpreʃəs/
US: /ˈpreʃəs/

  1. Of great value; loved and cherished.

    1. My ring is precious to me. [ ] [ ]
    2. Time with family is more precious than any material possession, truly. [ ] [ ]

  2. Expensive and rare.

    1. Diamonds are precious stones. [ ] [ ]
    2. The museum displays many precious artifacts from ancient civilizations with reverence. [ ] [ ]

  3. Affected or excessively refined.

    1. Her manners are a bit precious. [ ] [ ]
    2. The poet's work was criticized for its overly precious and sentimental style in the review. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

valuable priceless exquisite fine
precious noun

  1. A loved one; used as a term of endearment.

    1. You're my precious, always. [ ] [ ]
    2. She held her baby close, whispering, 'My precious,' into its tiny ear. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "precious" in English means: Of great value; loved and cherished., Expensive and rare., Affected or excessively refined..

The phonetic transcription of "precious" is /ˈpreʃəs/ in British English and /ˈpreʃəs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "precious": valuable, priceless, exquisite, fine.

Example usage of "precious": "My ring is precious to me.". More examples on the page.