precious
/ˈpɹɛʃ.əs/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.33 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Regarded with love or tenderness.
adj
Example Sentences
- "The crown had many precious gemstones. This building work needs site access, and tell the city council that I don't care about a few lorry tyre ruts across their precious grass verge."
- "People are a good thing, the most precious resource in a rich economy, so the progressive-minded feel. Only misanthropists disagree or the dottier Malthusians who send green-ink tweets deploring any state assistance for child-rearing."
- "The way my partner looks at me is just so precious."
- "He spent hours painting the eyes of the portrait, which his fellow artists regarded as a bit precious."
- "Writers are often very precious about their work."
- "Pro chefs can be very precious about their kit. Watch a bartender trying to borrow a simple, cheap fruit-knife from the kitchen and you'll see what I mean."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: precious, pretiōsus
Usage
Inflected Forms
more precious (comparative)
most precious (superlative)
pretious (alternative, obsolete)
preciouses (plural)