precious

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Contents

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English precious, from Old French precios (“valuable, costly, precious, beloved, also affected, finical”), from Latin pretiosus (“of great value, costly, dear, precious”), from pretium (“value, price”); see price.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

precious (comparative more precious, superlative most precious)

  1. Of high value or worth, or seemingly regarded as such.
    • The crown had many precious gemstones.
    • This building work needs site access, and tell the city council that I don't care about a few lorry tyre ruts across their precious grass verge.
  2. Regarded with love or tenderness.
    • My precious daughter is to marry.
  3. (pejorative) Treated with too much reverence.
    • He spent hours painting the eyes of the portrait, which his fellow artists regarded as a bit precious.
  4. (pejorative) Contrived to be cute or charming.
    • 2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, The Onion AV Club:
      In the abstract, Stuhlbarg’s twinkly-eyed sidekick suggests Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2 by way of late-period Robin Williams with an alien twist, but Stuhlbarg makes a character that easily could have come across as precious into a surprisingly palatable, even charming man.

Synonyms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

of high value or worth
regarded with love
contrived to be cute

Noun[edit]

precious (uncountable)

  1. Someone (or something) who is loved; a darling.
    • J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
      “It isn't fair, my precious, is it, to ask us what it's got in its nassty little pocketses?”

Adverb[edit]

precious (not comparable)

  1. Used as an intensifier.
    There is precious little we can do.

Translations[edit]

intensifier — see very (adverb)

External links[edit]

External links[edit]

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