1
: of great value or high price
precious jewels
2
: highly esteemed or cherished
a precious friend
3
: excessively refined : affected entry 2
precious manners
4
: great, thoroughgoing
a precious scoundrel
preciousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of precious in a Sentence
Adjective
That so many of China's cleverest and most creative men and women had to sell their books and their most precious carvings and family seals to keep themselves alive, while corpulent nationalists and their friends dined well in local banquet halls, gave them some right to schadenfreude.
—
Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
Of course, the war pronounces on us all. Some precious glee we seek is absent, the season less substantial, less likeable.
—Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
The world is, as usual, a frightening place to enter for all save the precious few impaired by inherited security.
—David Mamet, True and False, 1997
… and, though to him those precious moments at the end of each day had symbolized the realization of his every hope, to her they had meant not a goddamn thing.
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
diamonds and other precious stones
We can save precious time by taking this shortcut.
They were able to be together for only a few precious hours.
the family's most precious moments
Adverb
She had precious little to say.
There are precious few hours of sunlight left.
Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
Of course, the war pronounces on us all. Some precious glee we seek is absent, the season less substantial, less likeable.
—Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
The world is, as usual, a frightening place to enter for all save the precious few impaired by inherited security.
—David Mamet, True and False, 1997
… and, though to him those precious moments at the end of each day had symbolized the realization of his every hope, to her they had meant not a goddamn thing.
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
diamonds and other precious stones
We can save precious time by taking this shortcut.
They were able to be together for only a few precious hours.
the family's most precious moments
Adverb
She had precious little to say.
There are precious few hours of sunlight left.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
After a long day at work, making a meal from scratch might not seem like the most appealing way to spend your precious off-hours.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 13 Dec. 2024
Tourists check into their hotels and spend the rest of their few days off running around, trying to make the most of their precious few days off.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Still, accessories added a whimsical touch, including precious bonnets, crowns and headpieces crafted by artist Patrizia Benedetta Fratus, daughter of the protagonist of the movie Maria Teresa Brescianini.
—Sandra Salibian, WWD, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for precious 
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Adjective
Meanwhile, education, insurance, and precious metals were among the worst-performing subsectors.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
After a long day at work, making a meal from scratch might not seem like the most appealing way to spend your precious off-hours.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 13 Dec. 2024
Tourists check into their hotels and spend the rest of their few days off running around, trying to make the most of their precious few days off.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Still, accessories added a whimsical touch, including precious bonnets, crowns and headpieces crafted by artist Patrizia Benedetta Fratus, daughter of the protagonist of the movie Maria Teresa Brescianini.
—Sandra Salibian, WWD, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for precious
Dictionary Entries Near precious
Cite this Entry
“Precious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precious. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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