# precious

/ˈpɹɛʃəs/ (US) · /pɹˈɛʃəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/precious
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. valuable

adjective · CEFR B1

worth a lot of money because it is rare or high quality.

For teachers: of great value or high price, typically due to rarity or intrinsic quality.

- The museum keeps its most precious jewels in a high-security glass case.
- The mining company discovered a rich vein of precious metals deep within the mountain range, sparking a local economic boom.

### 2. loved or cherished

adjective · CEFR B1

very important to you because you love it or it has special memories.

For teachers: highly esteemed or cherished for emotional or sentimental reasons.

- She kept the precious old photos in a box under her bed.
- To the elderly couple, their garden was more precious than any material possession they had acquired over the decades.

### 3. affected or over-refined

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

behaving in a way that is too delicate or fancy to be natural.

For teachers: excessively delicate, refined, or fastidious in a way that appears artificial or annoying.

- The critic found the author's writing style a bit too precious and difficult to read.
- The director's precious approach to the source material alienated audiences who preferred a more grounded and realistic interpretation.

### 4. protective or sensitive

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

being too careful or protective about something you think is special.

For teachers: excessively protective or sensitive about one's work, ideas, or possessions.

- He is very precious about his car and won't let anyone else drive it.
- The lead designer was notoriously precious about her initial sketches, often refusing to accept even the most constructive feedback from her peers.

### 5. a loved person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a name you call someone you love very much.

For teachers: a term of endearment used for a person who is loved or cherished.

- Come here, my precious, and let me see how much you have grown.
- The letter began with a simple address to his 'precious', a term he had used exclusively for his wife since their youth.

### 6. very or extremely

adverb · CEFR C1 · Informal

used to mean 'very', often when you are complaining that there is not enough of something.

For teachers: used as an intensifier, particularly in the phrase 'precious little' or 'precious few' to emphasize scarcity.

- We have precious little time left to finish this project before the deadline.
- Despite the grand promises made during the campaign, there has been precious little progress on the promised infrastructure reforms.

## Examples

- The museum keeps its most precious jewels in a glass case.
- She keeps her grandmother's old letters in a safe place because they are her most precious possessions.
- While the ring was not worth much money, its sentimental value made it more precious to him than any luxury item he owned.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.