precious

precious
[[t]pre̱ʃəs[/t]]
1) ADJ-GRADED If you say that something such as a resource is precious, you mean that it is valuable and should not be wasted or used badly.

After four months in foreign parts, every hour at home was precious...

A family break allows you to spend precious time together...

Water is becoming an increasingly precious resource.

Syn:
2) ADJ-GRADED Precious objects and materials are worth a lot of money because they are rare.

...jewellery and precious objects belonging to her mother.

Syn:
3) ADJ-GRADED If something is precious to you, you regard it as important and do not want to lose it.

Her family's support is particularly precious to Josie...

Mary left her most precious possession - a small bookcase - to her niece.

4) ADJ: ADJ n (emphasis) People sometimes use precious to emphasize their dislike for things which other people think are important. [INFORMAL]

You don't care about anything but yourself and your precious face.

5) ADJ-GRADED (disapproval) If you describe someone as precious, you mean that they behave in a formal and unnatural way.

Actors, he decided, were too precious and neurotic.

Syn:
affected, mannered
6) PHRASE (emphasis) If you say that there is precious little of something, you are emphasizing that there is very little of it, and that it would be better if there were more. Precious few has a similar meaning.

The battered banks of Japan have had precious little to celebrate recently...

Precious few homebuyers will notice any reduction in their monthly repayments.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Precious — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda «Precious» Sencillo de Depeche Mode del álbum Playing the Angel Lado B «Free» Publicación 3 de octubre de 2005 en …   Wikipedia Español

  • Precious — Données clés Titre original Precious Réalisation Lee Daniels Scénario Geoffrey S. Fletcher d après le roman de « Sapphire » Acteurs principaux Gabourey Sidibe Mo Nique Paula …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Precious — may refer to:In music: * Precious (band), a British band * Precious (Chanté Moore album) * Precious (Cubic U album) * Precious (Ours album) * Precious (Loïs Lane album), an album by Loïs Lane * Precious (Yuna Ito song), from the album Heart *… …   Wikipedia

  • Precious — Pre cious, a. [OF. precious, precius, precios, F. pr[ e]cieux, L. pretiosus, fr. pretium price, worth, value. See {Price}.] 1. Of great price; costly; as, a precious stone. The precious bane. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. Of great value or worth;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Precious — bezeichnet: Precious (Band), britische Pop Gruppe Precious – Das Leben ist kostbar, US amerikanisches Filmdrama (2009) Precious ist der Name folgender Personen: Precious Dede (* 1980), nigerianische Fußballspielerin Precious Wilson (* 1957),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • precious — ► ADJECTIVE 1) having great value. 2) greatly loved or treasured. 3) ironic considerable: a precious lot you know! 4) derogatory affectedly concerned with elegant or refined language or manners. ● precious little (or few) Cf. ↑precious little …   English terms dictionary

  • precious — [adj1] favorite, valued adored, beloved, cherished, darling, dear, dearest, idolized, inestimable, loved, pet, prized, treasured; concepts 529,567 Ant. disfavored, useless, valueless, worthless precious [adj2] expensive; rare choice, costly, dear …   New thesaurus

  • precious — [presh′əs] adj. [ME < OFr precios < L pretiosus < pretium, PRICE] 1. of great price or value; costly 2. of great desirability; held in high esteem [precious rights] 3. beloved; dear 4. very fastidious, overrefined, or affected, as in… …   English World dictionary

  • precious — index inestimable, invaluable, premium, priceless, rare, sterling, valuable Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …   Law dictionary

  • precious — (adj.) late 13c., from O.Fr. precios (11c., Mod.Fr. précieux), from L. pretiosus costly, valuable, from pretium value, worth, price (see PRICE (Cf. price)). Meaning over refined first recorded late 14c. Precieuse a woman aiming at refined… …   Etymology dictionary

  • precious — *costly, expensive, dear, valuable, invaluable, priceless Analogous words: *choice, exquisite, recherché, rare: valued, prized, appreciated, cherished (see APPRECIATE) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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