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
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
Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
For weekend warriors Weekend warriors only get a few precious days in the woods, so a tent that sets up quickly without much effort is a must.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 10 May 2025
Deborah saves her precious Barry from a would-be dog-killing coyote by throwing her (evidently not useless!) comedy award at it to scare that attacker off.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 9 May 2025
Aghili and her family escaped with a precious few items, but their home — including all Aghili’s artwork and supplies — was destroyed.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for precious
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Adjective
This year, make the brilliant switch to floral jewelry including timeless investments in a variety of precious metals and stones that deliver just the right botanical punch without overwhelming your look.
—Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
For weekend warriors Weekend warriors only get a few precious days in the woods, so a tent that sets up quickly without much effort is a must.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 10 May 2025
Deborah saves her precious Barry from a would-be dog-killing coyote by throwing her (evidently not useless!) comedy award at it to scare that attacker off.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 9 May 2025
Aghili and her family escaped with a precious few items, but their home — including all Aghili’s artwork and supplies — was destroyed.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for precious
Cite this Entry
“Precious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precious. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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