precious

• adj. 宝贵的；珍贵的；矫揉造作的
• n. (Precious)人名；(英)普雷舍斯，普雷舍丝(女名)

来自拉丁语pretium,价格，价值，词源同price,prize.引申词义有价值的，值得珍惜的，珍贵的。

1. characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for;

"a cherished friend"

"children are precious"

"a treasured heirloom"

"so good to feel wanted"

2. of high worth or cost;

"diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are precious stones"

3. obviously contrived to charm;

"an insufferably precious performance"

"a child with intolerably cute mannerisms"

precious

precious: [13] Latin pretiōsus ‘expensive, valuable, precious’ was derived from pretium ‘price’ (source of English praise, price, and prize). English acquired it via Old French precios. The sense ‘affected’ was introduced from French in the early 18th century.
=> praise, price, prize

precious (adj.)

mid-13c., from Old French precios "precious, costly, honorable, of great worth" (11c., Modern French précieux), from Latin pretiosus "costly, valuable," from pretium "value, worth, price" (see price (n.)). Meaning "over-refined" in English first recorded late 14c. In Johnson's day, it also had a secondary inverted sense of "worthless." Related: Preciously; preciousness.

precious (n.)

"beloved or dear person or object," 1706, from precious (adj.).

valuable, precious

这两个形容词均含"贵重的，有价值的"之意。

valuable： 指有相当价值，可高价出售的，或有用、有益的东西。

precious： 指因稀罕、不易得到而很值钱，或因本身的品质而具有极大的价值。

The brain is a seemingly endless library, whose shelves house our most precious memories as well as our lifetime's knowledge.

出自-2017年6月阅读原文

It keeps our most precious memories until life's end.

出自-2017年6月阅读原文

Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate.

出自-2017年6月阅读原文

In college, time is scarce, and consequently, very precious.

出自-2016年12月听力原文

Genuine criticism creates a precious opening for an author to become better on his own terms—a process that is often extremely painful, but also almost always meaningful.

出自-2015年12月阅读原文

Bringing back unneeded equipment would have used up precious resources such as fuel.

2018年12月四级真题（第二套）听力 Section C

Certainly, you don't want to waste your precious hours on following the developments in a disorderly fashion, and miss important deadlines, confuse interview times or forget to follow up as a result.

2018年6月四级真题（第一套）听力 Section C

Genuine criticism creates a precious opening for an author to become better on his own terms— a process that is often extremely painful, but also almost always meaningful.

2015年12月四级真题（第二套）阅读 Section B

Just lengthening that second stage of full-time work may secure the financial assets needed for a 100-year life, but such persistent work will inevitably exhaust precious intangible assets such as productive skills, vitality, happiness, and friendship.

2019年6月四级真题（第一套）阅读 Section B

Wasting food means losing not only life-supporting nutrition but also precious resources, including land, water and energy.

出自-2013年12月阅读原文

Time has become more precious

出自-2014年6月听力原文

Once purchased and trained, this would allow the casual user to save money and time, freeing up precious space in our busy lives to read a good book.

2018年6月六级真题（第三套）阅读 Section A

Some of our all too precious time is being stolen.

2019年12月六级真题（第二套）听力 Section C

A Swiss study reported that while the weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in comParison to total waste, the concentration of gold and other precious metals was higher in so-called e-waste than in nature.

2015年高考英语江苏卷 阅读理解 阅读B 原文

Collection consists of masterworks in sculpture, colored glass, and precious objects from Europe dating from about the 9th to the 15th century.

2018年高考英语江苏卷 阅读理解 阅读A 原文

However, the two zookeepers didn't want to see the extinction of this precious species.

2019年高考英语江苏卷 完形填空 原文

Natural minerals contain more precious metals.

2015年高考英语江苏卷 阅读理解 阅读B 选项

The percentage of precious metals is heavy in e-waste.

2015年高考英语江苏卷 阅读理解 阅读B 选项

When the war was near, Alia was worried that the fires of war would destroy the books, which are more precious to her than mountain of gold.

2017年高考英语浙江卷（6月） 完形填空 原文

a precious vase

稀世花瓶

牛津词典

The crown was set with precious jewels─diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

王冠上镶嵌着稀世珍宝——有钻石、红宝石、绿宝石。

牛津词典

Clean water is a precious commodity in that part of the world.

在世界的那个地方，洁净的水是宝贵的东西。

牛津词典

You're wasting precious time!

你在浪费宝贵的时间！

牛津词典

precious memories/possessions

珍贵的回忆 / 财物

牛津词典

I didn't touch your precious car!

我没碰你那辆宝贝车！

牛津词典

[不可数名词]the preciousness of an old friendship

悠久友谊的可贵

牛津词典

His writings reveal an unattractive preciousness of style.

他的文章流露出不讨好的做作风格。

牛津词典

There's precious little to do in this town.

这个镇上没有多少可做的事。

牛津词典

After four months in foreign parts, every hour at home was precious...

在国外呆了4个月后，在家的每一刻都是宝贵的。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

A family break allows you to spend precious time together...

家庭度假会让你们一起度过宝贵的时光。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...jewellery and precious objects belonging to her mother.

她妈妈的珠宝和珍奇物品

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Her family's support is particularly precious to Josie...

家庭的支持对乔茜来说尤为可贵。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Mary left her most precious possession — a small bookcase — to her niece.

玛丽把她最珍视的财产——一个小书架，留给了她的侄女。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

You don't care about anything but yourself and your precious face.

你什么都不关心，除了你自己和你那张娇贵的脸。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Actors, he decided, were too precious and neurotic.

他认定演员们太做作，并且都神经兮兮的。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The banks have had precious little to celebrate recently...

银行最近没几件值得庆贺的事。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Precious few homebuyers will notice any reduction in their monthly repayments.

极少数购房者会注意到他们月还款额的减少。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.

它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产.

《简明英汉词典》

Luckily our precious records were saved from the fire.

幸运地,我们这些珍贵的记录从火灾中抢救了出来.

《简明英汉词典》

Night hours in spring are extremely precious.

春宵一刻值千金.

《现代汉英综合大词典》

Don't fritter away your precious time.

大好时光,不可等闲度过.

《现代汉英综合大词典》

This precious mineral is found in many provinces.

许多省都有这种珍贵矿物.

《现代英汉综合大词典》

Spring rain is as precious as oil.

春雨贵如油.

《现代汉英综合大词典》