Definition of precious in English:

precious

adjective ˈprɛʃəsˈprɛʃəs

1Of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.
（物体，物质，资源）贵重的；珍贵的，宝贵的
precious works of art
艺术珍品。
my time's precious
我的时间很宝贵。
Example sentencesExamples
- I gasped in pain and let what little precious air I had left escape.
- In 1634, the desire to own the precious tulip was so great it directly affected the entire Dutch economy.
- Inside the red box was a diamond necklace, engraved with several other precious gems.
- The democracy of manners is a precious achievement.
- One of the most beneficial meditations in Buddhism is to contemplate how fortunate we are to have this precious life.
- Which just goes to show that even money cannot stop time, the most precious of all commodities.
- Instead, there appears to be a headlong rush to commit precious resources in a manner that could lead to disappointment and waste.
- In fact, that's probably the most precious gift you can have.
- The new thinking must be that human time is our most precious resource.
- The site borders the River Spey and residents are concerned that precious soakaway or catchment land will be removed, sending high waters flooding on to the new estates.
- You are precious in his sight, chosen and beloved from before time began.
- This vitality is precious: through our behavior and life-style, we can either nourish or else dissipate it.
- There are ways to change this practice and actually save precious resources over the long term.
- Language is a precious element of cinema because it is a privileged element of mankind.
- I must say, it's sad in light of how precious mutual affection and great relationships are.
- If we don't squander this precious space on parking, we could do all manner of interesting things on this site, which could be linked through foot and cycle tracks to the rest of Trowbridge.
- Along with the fund-raising came an even more critical search - a quest to find a contributor of something more precious than cash.
- An unpleasant manner can lose you precious business.
- In this manner, not a precious square inch of area would be lost.
- When photocopied, photographs become ephemeral and therefore less precious.
Synonyms
valuable, costly, expensive, high-priced, dear
invaluable, priceless, beyond price, of incalculable value/worth
rare, choice, fine, exquisite, irreplaceable, inestimable
1. 1.1 Greatly loved or treasured by someone.
  珍爱的，心爱的
  look after my daughter—she's very precious to me
  好好照顾我女儿——她是我的宝贝。
  Example sentencesExamples
  ‘They are playing with the communities that are precious to me and they're playing with my life as a worker,’ he said.
  When Nancy and I dated, I protected her as I would a delicate and precious flower.
  Then he loses a watch precious to his grandfather.
  She said: ‘He was so precious to me and the thought that I might lose him… all I could do was cry, sit and cry.’
  I will treat you with the utmost delicate care and concern, as if you were a precious flower.
  It was a view of the village from our home and was very precious to me, but now it is just a charred frame hanging on the wall.
  I know we can't go around as if ‘walking on egg shells’, but it would be a move in the right direction to confirm to our partner that they are still very precious to us.
  Our most precious heritage, our English language, is also suffering.
  She could see the concerned look decorating her precious face.
  AT THIS time of year the plants in our gardens are using every last drop of energy they've got to produce those last magnificent blooms that are so precious to gardeners.
  As the two lovers watched their most precious treasure, they couldn't help but grow crestfallen.
  How could anyone do this to his precious flower?
  Your eyes are precious to you… but they are only a ‘window’ for your soul.
  I wanted to have something precious to love and care for; it wasn't simply enough to be loved anymore.
  But, to be downright honest I am scared of losing the four to five people who are absolutely precious to me now and I really do not want to even imagine what life would be like once they move on.
  The further expansion of higher education in the 1960s made the prizes too precious to share.
  We were not rich, but we had a few bits of furniture and other treasures that were precious to us and we took as much as we could, including our piano.
  The results suggested a ragtag yard sale, but for the handwritten notes explaining why each object was so precious to the possessor.
  That relationship was extremely precious to her.
  The clothes he bought in America are precious to him.
  Synonyms
  valued, cherished, treasured, prized, favourite, dear, dearest, beloved, darling, adored, loved, special, esteemed, worth its weight in gold, revered, venerated, hallowed
2. 1.2informal attributive Used for emphasis, often in an ironic context.
  〈非正式〉用于强调，常含讽刺非常，极其
  you and your precious schedule—you've got to lighten up!
  你和你那宝贝日程表——你真该放松点了！
  a precious lot you know about dogs!
  你对狗了解得真够多的！
  Example sentencesExamples
  I would like to offer my sincere apologies for wasting precious seconds of your life.
  There may be precious little grace in these streets, but there's a precious lot of talent in these pages.
  He tore it to shreds, leaving precious little of it intact.
  I spent my time doing chores and praying, leaving precious little time for friendships.
  Precious time can be saved if you get your mailing list in strict order.
  Synonyms
  damn, damned, blasted, blessed, flaming, confounded, rotten
2derogatory Affectedly concerned with elegant or refined behaviour, language, or manners.
〈贬〉故作风雅的；矫揉造作的
his exaggerated, precious manner
他那夸张，故作风雅的举止。
Example sentencesExamples
- Forthrightness can override a too precious concern for complete accuracy.
- His art is refined but never precious, and the voice per se is simply ravishing.
- It is the most elegant and precious business card in the world.
- Nothing in the musical treatment is contrived, pretentious or remotely precious.
- Detailing is refined but never precious, allowing the house to feel at once substantial and robust, light and refined.
Synonyms
affected, over-refined, artificial, studied, pretentious, chichi, flowery, mannered, contrived, effete
informal twee, la-di-da, fancy-pants
British informal poncey
rare alembicated

noun ˈprɛʃəsˈprɛʃəs

Used as a term of address for a beloved person.
（用作称呼）宝贝；亲爱的
don't be frightened, my precious
宝贝，别怕。
Example sentencesExamples
- I have also had far too many conversations about the perils of dropping the precious.
- He attacks the Hobbits while they sleep in an effort to grab up the precious (the ring).
- However, I don't buy the mother's story that her little precious doesn't know what a pimp is.
- All this time Antonio had been searching for his stolen precious.
Synonyms
darling, dearest, love, beloved, loved one, sweetheart, sweet, precious, treasure

Phrases

precious little (or few)

Extremely little or few (used for emphasis)
极少的（用作强调）
police still know precious little about the dead man
警察对那死去的男子仍然所知无几。
you'll find precious few attractions open outside the tourist season
Example sentencesExamples
- Let's face it, there's precious little to watch here other than the coming and going and the doings of neighbours.
- That leaves precious little time to settle in and be ready for the big end of year holiday when the whole country takes three to four weeks off.
- When what was to become York's prime rugby league club was first founded it had precious little money and no permanent home.
- Whatever the figure, it leaves precious little time to develop alternative sources.
- In 80 minutes of solid endeavour, there was precious little grunt and grind.
- What goes on in his mind - precious little, the evidence would suggest - is of little interest.
- Sports ministers of successive governments have done precious little to promote sports.
- There's precious little of my own life experience up on that screen.
- But, the room is large enough to be turned into a storage area, in a flat that has precious little of that in the first place.
- The remedy for those of nervous disposition was a mundane first half which provided precious little of consequence.

Derivatives

preciously

adverb ˈprɛʃəsliˈprɛʃəsli

It reprints newspaper classics from the early 20th century, at their original size, every watercolour nuance preciously preserved.
Example sentencesExamples
- To my mind there is something in the up-for-it, let-your-hair-down, what-the-hell British pub culture that enshrines something seriously free, something preciously liberal in overall British culture.
- Countries like Poland got preciously little tangible benefits for their involvement, be it by way of commercial contracts, military assistance, or abolishing visa restrictions for Polish visitors.
- The tramway, the kiddies' fairground, the open moor and tranquillity is really what families value most preciously.
- In shoe boxes filled with important immigration papers one could find menus or flyers handed out in the streets that my father kept, preciously, as carefully as the immigration documents.

preciousness

noun ˈprɛʃəsnəsˈprɛʃəsnəs

Above that the ubiquitous black square negates the image like some dark doppelgänger, a reminder of the eventual death of the picture on its obverse, constantly reinscribing the preciousness of this unique object.
Example sentencesExamples
- The project, which was intended as an experiment and a comment on notions of preciousness, greed and consumer society, was hyped as a ‘treasure hunt’ for ‘golden garbage’.
- It is a gift of such preciousness that it is almost indescribable.
- The large show (more than 40 artists, though not all the work is displayed) presents a flock of sexy, edgy, beautifully painted dolls, not one of which sinks into preciousness.
- Life needs to be valued for itself based on concepts like the preciousness of life.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus 'of great value', from pretium 'price'.

price from Middle English:
The medieval word pris, which was from Old French, meant not only ‘price’ but also ‘prize’ and ‘praise’. Over time these three meanings split into three different words. Pris became price, and the meaning ‘praise’ started to be spelled preise and then praise. Originally simply an alternative way of spelling price, prize too became a separate word. The Latin original of the French was pretiem ‘price’ which also lies behind appreciate (mid 18th century), and the related appraise (mid 16th century) and apprize (mid 16th century), all with the basic sense of ‘set a price to’; depreciate (mid 17th century); and precious (Middle English).

Rhymes

semi-precious

Definition of precious in US English:

precious

adjectiveˈpreSHəsˈprɛʃəs

1(of an object, substance, or resource) of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.
（物体，物质，资源）贵重的；珍贵的，宝贵的
precious works of art
艺术珍品。
my time is precious
我的时间很宝贵。
Example sentencesExamples
- There are ways to change this practice and actually save precious resources over the long term.
- The site borders the River Spey and residents are concerned that precious soakaway or catchment land will be removed, sending high waters flooding on to the new estates.
- Along with the fund-raising came an even more critical search - a quest to find a contributor of something more precious than cash.
- In fact, that's probably the most precious gift you can have.
- The new thinking must be that human time is our most precious resource.
- If we don't squander this precious space on parking, we could do all manner of interesting things on this site, which could be linked through foot and cycle tracks to the rest of Trowbridge.
- In this manner, not a precious square inch of area would be lost.
- The democracy of manners is a precious achievement.
- I gasped in pain and let what little precious air I had left escape.
- Language is a precious element of cinema because it is a privileged element of mankind.
- One of the most beneficial meditations in Buddhism is to contemplate how fortunate we are to have this precious life.
- Which just goes to show that even money cannot stop time, the most precious of all commodities.
- You are precious in his sight, chosen and beloved from before time began.
- In 1634, the desire to own the precious tulip was so great it directly affected the entire Dutch economy.
- I must say, it's sad in light of how precious mutual affection and great relationships are.
- Instead, there appears to be a headlong rush to commit precious resources in a manner that could lead to disappointment and waste.
- An unpleasant manner can lose you precious business.
- This vitality is precious: through our behavior and life-style, we can either nourish or else dissipate it.
- Inside the red box was a diamond necklace, engraved with several other precious gems.
- When photocopied, photographs become ephemeral and therefore less precious.
Synonyms
valuable, costly, expensive, high-priced, dear
1. 1.1 Greatly loved or treasured by someone.
  珍爱的，心爱的
  look after my daughter—she's very precious to me
  好好照顾我女儿——她是我的宝贝。
  Example sentencesExamples
  When Nancy and I dated, I protected her as I would a delicate and precious flower.
  How could anyone do this to his precious flower?
  ‘They are playing with the communities that are precious to me and they're playing with my life as a worker,’ he said.
  The clothes he bought in America are precious to him.
  I will treat you with the utmost delicate care and concern, as if you were a precious flower.
  As the two lovers watched their most precious treasure, they couldn't help but grow crestfallen.
  Then he loses a watch precious to his grandfather.
  I know we can't go around as if ‘walking on egg shells’, but it would be a move in the right direction to confirm to our partner that they are still very precious to us.
  AT THIS time of year the plants in our gardens are using every last drop of energy they've got to produce those last magnificent blooms that are so precious to gardeners.
  The results suggested a ragtag yard sale, but for the handwritten notes explaining why each object was so precious to the possessor.
  It was a view of the village from our home and was very precious to me, but now it is just a charred frame hanging on the wall.
  That relationship was extremely precious to her.
  Your eyes are precious to you… but they are only a ‘window’ for your soul.
  She said: ‘He was so precious to me and the thought that I might lose him… all I could do was cry, sit and cry.’
  But, to be downright honest I am scared of losing the four to five people who are absolutely precious to me now and I really do not want to even imagine what life would be like once they move on.
  She could see the concerned look decorating her precious face.
  We were not rich, but we had a few bits of furniture and other treasures that were precious to us and we took as much as we could, including our piano.
  The further expansion of higher education in the 1960s made the prizes too precious to share.
  I wanted to have something precious to love and care for; it wasn't simply enough to be loved anymore.
  Our most precious heritage, our English language, is also suffering.
  Synonyms
  valued, cherished, treasured, prized, favourite, dear, dearest, beloved, darling, adored, loved, special, esteemed, worth its weight in gold, revered, venerated, hallowed
2. 1.2informal attributive Used for emphasis, often in an ironic context.
  〈非正式〉用于强调，常含讽刺非常，极其
  a precious lot you know about dogs!
  你对狗了解得真够多的！
  Example sentencesExamples
  I spent my time doing chores and praying, leaving precious little time for friendships.
  Precious time can be saved if you get your mailing list in strict order.
  I would like to offer my sincere apologies for wasting precious seconds of your life.
  There may be precious little grace in these streets, but there's a precious lot of talent in these pages.
  He tore it to shreds, leaving precious little of it intact.
  Synonyms
  damn, damned, blasted, blessed, flaming, confounded, rotten
2derogatory Affectedly concerned with elegant or refined behavior, language, or manners.
〈贬〉故作风雅的；矫揉造作的
his exaggerated, precious manner
他那夸张，故作风雅的举止。
Example sentencesExamples
- It is the most elegant and precious business card in the world.
- Nothing in the musical treatment is contrived, pretentious or remotely precious.
- Detailing is refined but never precious, allowing the house to feel at once substantial and robust, light and refined.
- His art is refined but never precious, and the voice per se is simply ravishing.
- Forthrightness can override a too precious concern for complete accuracy.
Synonyms
affected, over-refined, artificial, studied, pretentious, chichi, flowery, mannered, contrived, effete

nounˈpreSHəsˈprɛʃəs

Used as a term of address for a beloved person.
（用作称呼）宝贝；亲爱的
don't be frightened, my precious
宝贝，别怕。
Example sentencesExamples
- I have also had far too many conversations about the perils of dropping the precious.
- All this time Antonio had been searching for his stolen precious.
- He attacks the Hobbits while they sleep in an effort to grab up the precious (the ring).
- However, I don't buy the mother's story that her little precious doesn't know what a pimp is.
Synonyms
darling, dearest, love, beloved, loved one, sweetheart, sweet, precious, treasure

Phrases

precious little/few

Extremely little or few (used for emphasis)
极少的（用作强调）
police still know precious little about the dead man
警察对那死去的男子仍然所知无几。
you'll find precious few attractions open outside of the tourist season
Example sentencesExamples
- In 80 minutes of solid endeavour, there was precious little grunt and grind.
- That leaves precious little time to settle in and be ready for the big end of year holiday when the whole country takes three to four weeks off.
- When what was to become York's prime rugby league club was first founded it had precious little money and no permanent home.
- There's precious little of my own life experience up on that screen.
- The remedy for those of nervous disposition was a mundane first half which provided precious little of consequence.
- Let's face it, there's precious little to watch here other than the coming and going and the doings of neighbours.
- But, the room is large enough to be turned into a storage area, in a flat that has precious little of that in the first place.
- Sports ministers of successive governments have done precious little to promote sports.
- Whatever the figure, it leaves precious little time to develop alternative sources.
- What goes on in his mind - precious little, the evidence would suggest - is of little interest.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus ‘of great value’, from pretium ‘price’.

词汇	precious
释义	Definition of precious in English: precious adjective ˈprɛʃəsˈprɛʃəs 1Of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. （物体，物质，资源）贵重的；珍贵的，宝贵的 precious works of art 艺术珍品。 my time's precious 我的时间很宝贵。 Example sentencesExamples I gasped in pain and let what little precious air I had left escape. In 1634, the desire to own the precious tulip was so great it directly affected the entire Dutch economy. Inside the red box was a diamond necklace, engraved with several other precious gems. The democracy of manners is a precious achievement. One of the most beneficial meditations in Buddhism is to contemplate how fortunate we are to have this precious life. Which just goes to show that even money cannot stop time, the most precious of all commodities. Instead, there appears to be a headlong rush to commit precious resources in a manner that could lead to disappointment and waste. In fact, that's probably the most precious gift you can have. The new thinking must be that human time is our most precious resource. The site borders the River Spey and residents are concerned that precious soakaway or catchment land will be removed, sending high waters flooding on to the new estates. You are precious in his sight, chosen and beloved from before time began. This vitality is precious: through our behavior and life-style, we can either nourish or else dissipate it. There are ways to change this practice and actually save precious resources over the long term. Language is a precious element of cinema because it is a privileged element of mankind. I must say, it's sad in light of how precious mutual affection and great relationships are. If we don't squander this precious space on parking, we could do all manner of interesting things on this site, which could be linked through foot and cycle tracks to the rest of Trowbridge. Along with the fund-raising came an even more critical search - a quest to find a contributor of something more precious than cash. An unpleasant manner can lose you precious business. In this manner, not a precious square inch of area would be lost. When photocopied, photographs become ephemeral and therefore less precious. Synonyms valuable, costly, expensive, high-priced, dear invaluable, priceless, beyond price, of incalculable value/worth rare, choice, fine, exquisite, irreplaceable, inestimable 1.1 Greatly loved or treasured by someone. 珍爱的，心爱的 look after my daughter—she's very precious to me 好好照顾我女儿——她是我的宝贝。 Example sentencesExamples ‘They are playing with the communities that are precious to me and they're playing with my life as a worker,’ he said. When Nancy and I dated, I protected her as I would a delicate and precious flower. Then he loses a watch precious to his grandfather. She said: ‘He was so precious to me and the thought that I might lose him… all I could do was cry, sit and cry.’ I will treat you with the utmost delicate care and concern, as if you were a precious flower. It was a view of the village from our home and was very precious to me, but now it is just a charred frame hanging on the wall. I know we can't go around as if ‘walking on egg shells’, but it would be a move in the right direction to confirm to our partner that they are still very precious to us. Our most precious heritage, our English language, is also suffering. She could see the concerned look decorating her precious face. AT THIS time of year the plants in our gardens are using every last drop of energy they've got to produce those last magnificent blooms that are so precious to gardeners. As the two lovers watched their most precious treasure, they couldn't help but grow crestfallen. How could anyone do this to his precious flower? Your eyes are precious to you… but they are only a ‘window’ for your soul. I wanted to have something precious to love and care for; it wasn't simply enough to be loved anymore. But, to be downright honest I am scared of losing the four to five people who are absolutely precious to me now and I really do not want to even imagine what life would be like once they move on. The further expansion of higher education in the 1960s made the prizes too precious to share. We were not rich, but we had a few bits of furniture and other treasures that were precious to us and we took as much as we could, including our piano. The results suggested a ragtag yard sale, but for the handwritten notes explaining why each object was so precious to the possessor. That relationship was extremely precious to her. The clothes he bought in America are precious to him. Synonyms valued, cherished, treasured, prized, favourite, dear, dearest, beloved, darling, adored, loved, special, esteemed, worth its weight in gold, revered, venerated, hallowed 1.2informal attributive Used for emphasis, often in an ironic context. 〈非正式〉用于强调，常含讽刺非常，极其 you and your precious schedule—you've got to lighten up! 你和你那宝贝日程表——你真该放松点了！ a precious lot you know about dogs! 你对狗了解得真够多的！ Example sentencesExamples I would like to offer my sincere apologies for wasting precious seconds of your life. There may be precious little grace in these streets, but there's a precious lot of talent in these pages. He tore it to shreds, leaving precious little of it intact. I spent my time doing chores and praying, leaving precious little time for friendships. Precious time can be saved if you get your mailing list in strict order. Synonyms damn, damned, blasted, blessed, flaming, confounded, rotten 2derogatory Affectedly concerned with elegant or refined behaviour, language, or manners. 〈贬〉故作风雅的；矫揉造作的 his exaggerated, precious manner 他那夸张，故作风雅的举止。 Example sentencesExamples Forthrightness can override a too precious concern for complete accuracy. His art is refined but never precious, and the voice per se is simply ravishing. It is the most elegant and precious business card in the world. Nothing in the musical treatment is contrived, pretentious or remotely precious. Detailing is refined but never precious, allowing the house to feel at once substantial and robust, light and refined. Synonyms affected, over-refined, artificial, studied, pretentious, chichi, flowery, mannered, contrived, effete informal twee, la-di-da, fancy-pants British informal poncey rare alembicated noun ˈprɛʃəsˈprɛʃəs Used as a term of address for a beloved person. （用作称呼）宝贝；亲爱的 don't be frightened, my precious 宝贝，别怕。 Example sentencesExamples I have also had far too many conversations about the perils of dropping the precious. He attacks the Hobbits while they sleep in an effort to grab up the precious (the ring). However, I don't buy the mother's story that her little precious doesn't know what a pimp is. All this time Antonio had been searching for his stolen precious. Synonyms darling, dearest, love, beloved, loved one, sweetheart, sweet, precious, treasure Phrases precious little (or few) Extremely little or few (used for emphasis) 极少的（用作强调） police still know precious little about the dead man 警察对那死去的男子仍然所知无几。 you'll find precious few attractions open outside the tourist season Example sentencesExamples Let's face it, there's precious little to watch here other than the coming and going and the doings of neighbours. That leaves precious little time to settle in and be ready for the big end of year holiday when the whole country takes three to four weeks off. When what was to become York's prime rugby league club was first founded it had precious little money and no permanent home. Whatever the figure, it leaves precious little time to develop alternative sources. In 80 minutes of solid endeavour, there was precious little grunt and grind. What goes on in his mind - precious little, the evidence would suggest - is of little interest. Sports ministers of successive governments have done precious little to promote sports. There's precious little of my own life experience up on that screen. But, the room is large enough to be turned into a storage area, in a flat that has precious little of that in the first place. The remedy for those of nervous disposition was a mundane first half which provided precious little of consequence. Derivatives preciously adverb ˈprɛʃəsliˈprɛʃəsli It reprints newspaper classics from the early 20th century, at their original size, every watercolour nuance preciously preserved. Example sentencesExamples To my mind there is something in the up-for-it, let-your-hair-down, what-the-hell British pub culture that enshrines something seriously free, something preciously liberal in overall British culture. Countries like Poland got preciously little tangible benefits for their involvement, be it by way of commercial contracts, military assistance, or abolishing visa restrictions for Polish visitors. The tramway, the kiddies' fairground, the open moor and tranquillity is really what families value most preciously. In shoe boxes filled with important immigration papers one could find menus or flyers handed out in the streets that my father kept, preciously, as carefully as the immigration documents. preciousness noun ˈprɛʃəsnəsˈprɛʃəsnəs Above that the ubiquitous black square negates the image like some dark doppelgänger, a reminder of the eventual death of the picture on its obverse, constantly reinscribing the preciousness of this unique object. Example sentencesExamples The project, which was intended as an experiment and a comment on notions of preciousness, greed and consumer society, was hyped as a ‘treasure hunt’ for ‘golden garbage’. It is a gift of such preciousness that it is almost indescribable. The large show (more than 40 artists, though not all the work is displayed) presents a flock of sexy, edgy, beautifully painted dolls, not one of which sinks into preciousness. Life needs to be valued for itself based on concepts like the preciousness of life. Origin Middle English: from Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus 'of great value', from pretium 'price'. price from Middle English: The medieval word pris, which was from Old French, meant not only ‘price’ but also ‘prize’ and ‘praise’. Over time these three meanings split into three different words. Pris became price, and the meaning ‘praise’ started to be spelled preise and then praise. Originally simply an alternative way of spelling price, prize too became a separate word. The Latin original of the French was pretiem ‘price’ which also lies behind appreciate (mid 18th century), and the related appraise (mid 16th century) and apprize (mid 16th century), all with the basic sense of ‘set a price to’; depreciate (mid 17th century); and precious (Middle English). Rhymes semi-precious adj.1 phr. Definition of precious in US English: precious adjectiveˈpreSHəsˈprɛʃəs 1(of an object, substance, or resource) of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. （物体，物质，资源）贵重的；珍贵的，宝贵的 precious works of art 艺术珍品。 my time is precious 我的时间很宝贵。 Example sentencesExamples There are ways to change this practice and actually save precious resources over the long term. The site borders the River Spey and residents are concerned that precious soakaway or catchment land will be removed, sending high waters flooding on to the new estates. Along with the fund-raising came an even more critical search - a quest to find a contributor of something more precious than cash. In fact, that's probably the most precious gift you can have. The new thinking must be that human time is our most precious resource. If we don't squander this precious space on parking, we could do all manner of interesting things on this site, which could be linked through foot and cycle tracks to the rest of Trowbridge. In this manner, not a precious square inch of area would be lost. The democracy of manners is a precious achievement. I gasped in pain and let what little precious air I had left escape. Language is a precious element of cinema because it is a privileged element of mankind. One of the most beneficial meditations in Buddhism is to contemplate how fortunate we are to have this precious life. Which just goes to show that even money cannot stop time, the most precious of all commodities. You are precious in his sight, chosen and beloved from before time began. In 1634, the desire to own the precious tulip was so great it directly affected the entire Dutch economy. I must say, it's sad in light of how precious mutual affection and great relationships are. Instead, there appears to be a headlong rush to commit precious resources in a manner that could lead to disappointment and waste. An unpleasant manner can lose you precious business. This vitality is precious: through our behavior and life-style, we can either nourish or else dissipate it. Inside the red box was a diamond necklace, engraved with several other precious gems. When photocopied, photographs become ephemeral and therefore less precious. Synonyms valuable, costly, expensive, high-priced, dear 1.1 Greatly loved or treasured by someone. 珍爱的，心爱的 look after my daughter—she's very precious to me 好好照顾我女儿——她是我的宝贝。 Example sentencesExamples When Nancy and I dated, I protected her as I would a delicate and precious flower. How could anyone do this to his precious flower? ‘They are playing with the communities that are precious to me and they're playing with my life as a worker,’ he said. The clothes he bought in America are precious to him. I will treat you with the utmost delicate care and concern, as if you were a precious flower. As the two lovers watched their most precious treasure, they couldn't help but grow crestfallen. Then he loses a watch precious to his grandfather. I know we can't go around as if ‘walking on egg shells’, but it would be a move in the right direction to confirm to our partner that they are still very precious to us. AT THIS time of year the plants in our gardens are using every last drop of energy they've got to produce those last magnificent blooms that are so precious to gardeners. The results suggested a ragtag yard sale, but for the handwritten notes explaining why each object was so precious to the possessor. It was a view of the village from our home and was very precious to me, but now it is just a charred frame hanging on the wall. That relationship was extremely precious to her. Your eyes are precious to you… but they are only a ‘window’ for your soul. She said: ‘He was so precious to me and the thought that I might lose him… all I could do was cry, sit and cry.’ But, to be downright honest I am scared of losing the four to five people who are absolutely precious to me now and I really do not want to even imagine what life would be like once they move on. She could see the concerned look decorating her precious face. We were not rich, but we had a few bits of furniture and other treasures that were precious to us and we took as much as we could, including our piano. The further expansion of higher education in the 1960s made the prizes too precious to share. I wanted to have something precious to love and care for; it wasn't simply enough to be loved anymore. Our most precious heritage, our English language, is also suffering. Synonyms valued, cherished, treasured, prized, favourite, dear, dearest, beloved, darling, adored, loved, special, esteemed, worth its weight in gold, revered, venerated, hallowed 1.2informal attributive Used for emphasis, often in an ironic context. 〈非正式〉用于强调，常含讽刺非常，极其 a precious lot you know about dogs! 你对狗了解得真够多的！ Example sentencesExamples I spent my time doing chores and praying, leaving precious little time for friendships. Precious time can be saved if you get your mailing list in strict order. I would like to offer my sincere apologies for wasting precious seconds of your life. There may be precious little grace in these streets, but there's a precious lot of talent in these pages. He tore it to shreds, leaving precious little of it intact. Synonyms damn, damned, blasted, blessed, flaming, confounded, rotten 2derogatory Affectedly concerned with elegant or refined behavior, language, or manners. 〈贬〉故作风雅的；矫揉造作的 his exaggerated, precious manner 他那夸张，故作风雅的举止。 Example sentencesExamples It is the most elegant and precious business card in the world. Nothing in the musical treatment is contrived, pretentious or remotely precious. Detailing is refined but never precious, allowing the house to feel at once substantial and robust, light and refined. His art is refined but never precious, and the voice per se is simply ravishing. Forthrightness can override a too precious concern for complete accuracy. Synonyms affected, over-refined, artificial, studied, pretentious, chichi, flowery, mannered, contrived, effete nounˈpreSHəsˈprɛʃəs Used as a term of address for a beloved person. （用作称呼）宝贝；亲爱的 don't be frightened, my precious 宝贝，别怕。 Example sentencesExamples I have also had far too many conversations about the perils of dropping the precious. All this time Antonio had been searching for his stolen precious. He attacks the Hobbits while they sleep in an effort to grab up the precious (the ring). However, I don't buy the mother's story that her little precious doesn't know what a pimp is. Synonyms darling, dearest, love, beloved, loved one, sweetheart, sweet, precious, treasure Phrases precious little/few Extremely little or few (used for emphasis) 极少的（用作强调） police still know precious little about the dead man 警察对那死去的男子仍然所知无几。 you'll find precious few attractions open outside of the tourist season Example sentencesExamples In 80 minutes of solid endeavour, there was precious little grunt and grind. That leaves precious little time to settle in and be ready for the big end of year holiday when the whole country takes three to four weeks off. When what was to become York's prime rugby league club was first founded it had precious little money and no permanent home. There's precious little of my own life experience up on that screen. The remedy for those of nervous disposition was a mundane first half which provided precious little of consequence. Let's face it, there's precious little to watch here other than the coming and going and the doings of neighbours. But, the room is large enough to be turned into a storage area, in a flat that has precious little of that in the first place. Sports ministers of successive governments have done precious little to promote sports. Whatever the figure, it leaves precious little time to develop alternative sources. What goes on in his mind - precious little, the evidence would suggest - is of little interest. Origin Middle English: from Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus ‘of great value’, from pretium ‘price’. adj.1 phr.
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