1
: rare and worth a lot of money
diamonds and other precious stones
precious jewels/jewelry
Note: A precious metal is an expensive metal (such as gold) that is used especially for jewelry.
2
: very valuable or important : too valuable or important to be wasted or used carelessly
We can save precious time by taking this shortcut.
They were able to be together for only a few precious hours/days.
precious resources
3
: greatly loved, valued, or important
precious memories
the family's most precious moments
a very precious [=dear] friend
4
US, informal
: having a very pleasing and usually youthful appearance or quality : cute
Aren't those children precious?
5
formal + disapproving
: having a too careful, precise, or polite quality that seems false or annoying
The sometimes precious writing makes the book difficult to read.
precious manners
: very or extremely
She had precious little to say.
There are precious few hours of sunlight left.
Cite this Entry
“Precious.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/precious. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
