precious1 adjectiveprecious2 adverb
preciouspre‧cious1 /ˈpreʃəs/ ●●○ adjective 
WORD ORIGINprecious1
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus, from pretium; ➔ PRICE1EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Antelope herds in the Rocky Mountains have lost precious winter pasture.
- Apparently I'd ruined her precious towel.
- Hello, precious, are you having fun?
- That bear is Ellie's most precious possession.
- The novel may be too precious for some, but it's good summer reading.
- The robe was encrusted with precious metals and stones.
- What a precious little baby girl!
- Back at the granary he persuaded the farm-worker to exchange it for the precious antique.
- But she was not about to reveal such precious dreams to him.
- But twice a year, at the church, the group sells rosaries made with precious stones to raise funds.
- For this reason temples and cathedrals frequently maintained artificers schooled in the use of precious substances.
- Make sure you keep a careful eye on it - it's a gem and just as precious!
- She felt a stab of resentment for the Church's claims on her precious holiday.
- You could help us out, in fact, if Maria doesn't mind handing her precious camera over.
THESAURUSworth a lot of money
worth a lot of money and expensive to buy: · a valuable piece of jewellery· The carpet is extremely valuable.
so valuable that it is impossible to calculate a price: · a priceless painting by Rembrandt· The statue is priceless.
precious metals such as gold, or stones such as diamonds are very rare and expensive: · Back in ancient times, coins contained precious metals.· The ring was set with dozens of precious stones.
informal to be worth a very large amount of money: · Some rare baseball cards are worth a fortune.
very special and important very special and important to someone – used about people or things: · My family have always been precious to me.· His free time was very precious to him.· the place where I kept my most precious things
very special and important to someone, so that they want very much to keep it or obtain it: · The book was one of his most prized possessions.· The shells are prized for their beauty (=are considered to be very special).
very special and important to someone, especially because it is connected with someone they love: · the case in which she kept her most treasured possessions· The holiday was now a treasured memory.· a treasured gift from her grandmother
extremely special and important, especially because it is the only one of its kind: · The manuscripts are said to be irreplaceable.
Longman Language Activatorworth a lot of money worth a lot of money and expensive to buy or replace: · Don't lose this ring -- it's very valuable.· Besides her studio apartment, she also owns a valuable estate in Italy.· Rogers had purchased a valuable Hebrew manuscript from a dealer in Jerusalem.
something that is of great value is worth a lot of money, especially a personal possession such as a work of art or a piece of jewellery: · He has a few medals of great value.· The burglars stole the television and video, but nothing of great value.
informal if something is worth a lot, you can get a lot of money if you sell it: · You should look after those old dolls - one day they could be worth a lot.
if something is worth a fortune it is worth a very large amount of money: · He was very poor when he died, but now his paintings are worth a fortune.
: precious metal/stone a valuable metal such as gold or a jewel such as a diamond: · The robe was encrusted with precious metals and stones.
worth so much money that it is impossible to calculate the price - use this about objects that are old and rare such as paintings, furniture, or jewellery: · The house was full of priceless antiques.· a priceless oil painting
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYnouns
Mr Wingate was full of explanations, but precious few (=hardly any) of them made sense. He did precious little (=very little) to help. They traded in gold and other precious metals (=valuable metals used especially for making jewellery).
1something that is precious is valuable and important and should not be wasted or used without careprecious seconds/minutes/hours/time· My time is precious, and I don't want to waste it.
· We knew we only had a few more precious hours together.
· The government has squandered the country’s precious resources.
· Water is a precious commodity.
· The organization’s most precious asset is its staff.
· Her illness made her appreciate more the precious gift of life.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· Land is an extremely valuable commodity.
Mr Wingate was full of explanations, but precious few (=hardly any) of them made sense. He did precious little (=very little) to help. They traded in gold and other precious metals (=valuable metals used especially for making jewellery). (=one that is valuable or important to you)· A man was salvaging a few precious possessions from the rubble of a bombed house.
· I’m sorry if I’m taking up your valuable time.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Gould's time was too precious and his ambition too overriding to allow him a thought for artistic temperament.· A promise is too precious to miss.· The chance to convert a proposal long mooted into reality was too precious to let slip.· She was neither too casual nor too precious with them.· This second man did not stop, drove his grey horse forward as if time was too precious to waste.· Life is too precious and he has a lot to give and share.· During the second world war paper had been too precious to waste on the manufacture of gift-wrap.· The Constitution is too precious a document to be trivialized with accounting procedures.
· It was all she had left of four years of happiness, and it was very precious.· Contrary to most political and economic models, parental love is generally recognized by biologists to be a very precious evolutionary asset.· It's just necessary for me to express how very precious she was to me.· Some one who has a lot of overt status has a great deal to do: their time and attention are very precious.· The relationship between children and their grandparents is something very precious.
NOUN· The most precious asset is confidence in both horse and rider.
· Zygotes are intrinsically more difficult-yet efficiency clearly has to be much higher, for zygotes are precious commodities.· Sugar was considered a precious commodity.· Breath, energy and time are precious commodities for Mr McTear.· I had, in effect, convinced her that television was a precious commodity.· For everyone energy is limited, a precious commodity.· Hope is the most precious commodity of all.· Water is a precious commodity too long taken for granted in the West.
· On many important icons, precious gems relating to the colour and function of each chakra are used instead of metal.· The red velvet background of the reliquary is studded with precious gems and valuable ornaments donated by her grateful clients.· But the most precious gem of all does not come cheap.· Dry camel droppings tied in bits of plastic bag were gold and precious gems.
· He bestowed a precious gift, Touching Mankind's soul world-wide.· How lucky we all were to be loved by such a woman; what a precious gift she was to us all!· After all, Tyler's son was the most precious gift of all.· All that wonderful time is still with us: memory is a precious gift.· University education was the precious gift they never had.· That wonderful love they had shared and which had given her the precious gift of a son.· It seemed to her a precious gift, far more than just an alleviation of present discomfort.
· However hopeless things were he was rejoicing because of Benedicta's words which he hugged to himself as if they were precious jewels.· This cave is absolutely stashed With gorgeous gleaming precious jewels!· We should tend the mind as a precious jewel box and factory that makes intangible but immortal gems.· She shimmered and shone like a precious jewel, a princess.· You know the power of the daydream to transform the lumber-room's contents into precious jewels.
· Articles made largely or wholly of gold, silver or other precious metals.· Some analysts argue that it should, since demand for the precious metal exceeds supplies.· This work is consolidating Johnson Matthey's position as a world leader in precious metal refining.· I invested in gold and precious metals and lost money there as well.· Not all plating was of precious metal.· Other strong groups included precious metals and oil, both groups building on recent gains.· The Quarter can trace its roots as far back as 1460, when work in precious metals is first recorded in Birmingham.· Fleischmann by contrast had studied hydrogen and precious metals for several years.
· At these moments he looks closely at each inch of her face, like a valuer frowningly examining some precious object.· Gifts could comprise not only land, but also money and precious objects, including jewellery.· With this extravagant behaviour, as the Encomiast says, went lavish gifts of precious objects.
· As I constantly urge members - your signature is your most precious possession.· Our people are our most precious possession...· That was the last photograph ever taken of Simon and it was Bert's most precious possession.
· Over the next few years, we're going to have to change our attitude to this precious resource.· People embody intelligence, by far the most precious resource in the universe and one in terribly short supply.· On this basis, precious resources have been allocated to mass literacy campaigns all over the Third World.· Smart governments know that by allowing trade, nations gently coerce their citizens to shift precious resources from low-productivity to high-productivity industries.· He was used to taking his time and not seeing every instant as a precious resource.· They began to suspect that time would be one of their most precious resources.
· Metaphorical bloodstains drench these precious stones, however, which makes a visit to the exhibition both eerie and wearisome.· The dazzling inlay of precious stones was long ago picked out with daggers.· He showed her the fruits he had gathered in the garden, and they had turned to precious stones.· A whole roomful of precious stones.· But twice a year, at the church, the group sells rosaries made with precious stones to raise funds.· Before him lay precious stones of such size, variety and colour that would have made anyone who was not royal gasp.· The dome was entire gold, standing upon three hundred pillars of precious stones.
· The emergence of stratified societies culminating in states increased conspicuous consumption of precious substances.· For this reason temples and cathedrals frequently maintained artificers schooled in the use of precious substances.· Although the status of pearls among other precious substances varied in different parts of the world, their appeal was exceptionally widespread.· The attitude adopted to precious substances helps to confirm the force of inertia in history.· A nautical lapidary accordingly recommended a variety of precious substances to ward off such dangers.· As symbols wooden thrones have traditionally attracted some of the most precious substances.· One way of showing them respect was to enclose them in reliquaries and enrich these with precious substances.· Again, methods for displaying precious substances were of an elementary character.
· I did what I thought was right for the most precious thing in the world to me.· On merchant ships the sailors work largely in darkness below decks because oil is a precious thing.· These immortal ideas, things barely perceptible are the most precious things of life.· It was a precious thing to be kept to oneself.· And hospital beds, precious things.· And some, and among them Rhodri Parry, had more dangerous and precious things to hide from the retreating soldiery.· Archaeologists are as keen to discover precious things, though for different reasons, as treasure-seekers.
· She had lost precious time waiting for the nurse to leave.· If we spend much time regretting, we lose precious time moving on.· This leaf fall would continue for three or four months every year and took much precious time from other projects.· Worst of all, they can steal precious time from an all-too-short life.· It is up to each group to divide that precious time between colleagues.· The Profitboss doesn't squander precious time writing and reading lengthy job descriptions.· Don't waste precious time stating the obvious.
We cannot afford to waste precious time. planes delivering precious supplies of medicine and food our planet’s precious resources2rare and worth a lot of moneyprecious gem/stone/jewel a statue covered with precious jewels3precious memories or possessions are important to you because they remind you of people you like or events in your lifeprecious to The doll is cracked and worn, but it’s precious to me because it was my mother’s.► see thesaurus at valuable4[only before noun] spoken used to show that you are annoyed that someone seems to care too much about something: I never touched your precious car!5spoken used to speak to someone you love, especially a baby or small child: Come sit by me, precious.6American English spoken used in order to describe someone or something that is small and pretty SYN cute: The kids gave me that ornament. Isn’t it precious?7 formal too concerned about style or detail in your writing or speech, so that it does not seem natural: His early work is rather precious and juvenile.—preciously adverb—preciousness noun [uncountable]COLLOCATIONSnounstime· My time is precious, and I don't want to waste it.seconds/moments/minutes/hours· We knew we only had a few more precious hours together.resources· The government has squandered the country’s precious resources.commodity· Water is a precious commodity.asset· The organization’s most precious asset is its staff.gift· Her illness made her appreciate more the precious gift of life.precious1 adjectiveprecious2 adverb
preciousprecious2 adverb informal EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- Food shopping takes time, a commodity of which most of us have precious little.
- From which it follows that many will choose precious little attachment.
- The other difficulty is I have precious little instinct for business ventures.
- The rest of us have precious little influence over the global economy, though our lives are deeply affected by it.
- When the doors were opened tothe public, precious few came.
- While the photographs are excellent and plentiful. there is precious little video.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Mr Wingate was full of explanations, but precious few (=hardly any) of them made sense. He did precious little (=very little) to help. They traded in gold and other precious metals (=valuable metals used especially for making jewellery).
· Land is an extremely valuable commodity.
Mr Wingate was full of explanations, but precious few (=hardly any) of them made sense. He did precious little (=very little) to help. They traded in gold and other precious metals (=valuable metals used especially for making jewellery). (=one that is valuable or important to you)· A man was salvaging a few precious possessions from the rubble of a bombed house.
· I’m sorry if I’m taking up your valuable time.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The rest of us have precious little influence over the global economy, though our lives are deeply affected by it.· The other difficulty is I have precious little instinct for business ventures.· From which it follows that many will choose precious little attachment.· While the photographs are excellent and plentiful. there is precious little video.· Food shopping takes time, a commodity of which most of us have precious little.· However, researchers have precious little time to retrieve the data.· But of actual finished prose, there is precious little.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
precious little/few very little or very few: - There are precious few seats inside the court room.
- At the moment there is precious little.
- Eight voices then, and precious little else.
- Food shopping takes time, a commodity of which most of us have precious little.
- From which it follows that many will choose precious little attachment.
- I had no answers and precious little consolation to offer him to mitigate the facts.
- Once the polarization occurs, there is precious little Mrs Clinton can do about it.
- She had to find some other way to save Angel's precious little life, and find it quickly.
- There was precious little to learn.
I had precious little time for reading.