precious

Worth a lot of money, or very useful and important.

• Gold is a precious metal.
• Do not waste precious water.
• The delay cost us precious time.

Similar words: valuable

Opposites: worthless

Common phrases: precious metal, precious stones, precious time

Very dear to someone because they love or care about it.

• That photo is precious to me.
• We shared some precious moments together.
• She kept every precious letter from her father.

How to use it: precious to someone (These memories are precious to us.)

Similar words: dear, cherished, beloved

Common phrases: precious memories, precious moments, precious to someone

Unwilling to let others change or criticize something you care about, often more than seems reasonable.

• He is precious about his recipes.
• Do not be too precious about your first draft.
• She became less precious about her work over time.

How to use it: precious about something (The designer is very precious about her drawings.)

Similar words: overprotective, possessive

Common phrases: precious about something, too precious, rather precious

Complete or total, used to give extra force to a negative description.

• You are a precious fool!
• That precious rascal has taken my hat again.
• What precious nonsense he talks!

Similar words: complete, utter

Common phrases: precious fool, precious rascal, precious nonsense

Very; often used before words meaning a small amount to stress how little there is.

• We have precious little time.
• Precious few people knew the answer.
• There was precious little left to eat.

Similar words: very, extremely

Common phrases: precious little, precious few