precious: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to formal; the 'affected' sense is informal.
Quick answer
What does “precious” mean?
Of great value, rare, or cherished above others.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Of great value, rare, or cherished above others.
Used to describe something of high worth, either materially or sentimentally; can also describe someone behaving in an affected, overly delicate manner (often derogatory).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. The informal exclamation 'precious little/few' meaning 'very little/few' is slightly more common in British English.
Connotations
Identical core connotations. The affected/delicate sense might be perceived as slightly more old-fashioned in American English.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “precious” in a Sentence
be precious to someoneconsider something precioushold something precioustoo precious to wasteVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “precious” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Obsolete/Non-standard)
American English
- (Obsolete/Non-standard)
adverb
British English
- (Rare, informal) 'It's precious cold today.'
American English
- (Rare, informal) 'He precious near broke his arm.'
adjective
British English
- She keeps her precious jewellery in a safe.
- We have precious little evidence to go on.
- Don't be so precious about the critic's comments.
American English
- He saved every precious dime for the trip.
- There's precious little difference between the two models.
- Her precious attitude made collaboration difficult.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to scarce resources like 'precious capital' or 'precious market share'.
Academic
Used in archaeology/history ('precious artefacts'), economics ('precious commodities'), or literature analysis ('precious imagery').
Everyday
Describing sentimental items, time, or people ('precious family photos', 'my precious time off').
Technical
In geology/mineralogy: classification of minerals (precious vs. semi-precious stones, precious metals).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “precious”
- Using it as a standard verb (e.g., 'I precious this ring' - INCORRECT). Confusing spelling: 'precius' or 'precicious'. Overusing the affected sense unintentionally.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, in modern standard English, 'precious' is not used as a verb. The verb forms are obsolete.
'Valuable' often refers to high monetary worth. 'Precious' can mean that too, but strongly implies high sentimental or emotional value, or extreme rarity.
It is neutral but can be used in formal contexts. Its informal register applies mainly to the 'affected/delicate' sense and the idiom 'precious little/few'.
Famously from 'The Lord of the Rings', it refers to an object of obsessive desire. Now used jokingly or mockingly to refer to something one is overly attached to.
Of great value, rare, or cherished above others.
Precious: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpreʃəs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpreʃəs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “precious few/little”
- “my precious (often jocular or mocking)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a PRE-CIOUS gem: you check it BEFORE (PRE-) it leaves the store because it's so valuable and deliciously (CIOUS sounding like 'delicious') wonderful.
Conceptual Metaphor
VALUE IS WEIGHT (e.g., 'carries great weight'); RARITY IS PURITY.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'precious' used in a derogatory/informal sense?