precious

 
Pronunciation: /ˈprɛʃəs/

adjective

  • 1of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly: precious works of art my time’s precious
  • greatly loved or treasured by someone: look after my daughter—she’s very precious to me
  • [attributive] informal used for emphasis, often in an ironic context: you and your precious schedule—you’ve got to lighten up! a precious lot you know about dogs!
  • 2 derogatory affectedly concerned with elegant or refined behaviour, language, or manners: his exaggerated, precious manner

noun

  • used as a term of address for a beloved person: don’t be frightened, my precious

Phrases

precious little (or few)

extremely little or few (used for emphasis): police still know precious little about the dead man

Derivatives

preciously

adverb

preciousness

noun

Origin:

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