1
: of great value or high price
precious jewels
2
: highly esteemed or cherished
a precious friend
precious memories
had a precious few hours together
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
Michael Weissenstein, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
With semi-precious stones, they are adhered with glue and the bond will wear down over time.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Lower borrowing costs are a tailwind for precious metals, which don't pay interest, and traders are betting on more rate cuts in 2026.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
On the commodities front, precious metals closed out a truly exceptional year.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precious
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
People used to catch up on the world, then save their precious memories, protect their floors and furniture, wrap gifts, line pet cages and light fires.
—Michael Weissenstein, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
With semi-precious stones, they are adhered with glue and the bond will wear down over time.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Lower borrowing costs are a tailwind for precious metals, which don't pay interest, and traders are betting on more rate cuts in 2026.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
On the commodities front, precious metals closed out a truly exceptional year.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 27 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share