precious
UK: ˈpreʃəs | US: ˈpreʃəs
adj. of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly
adj. highly esteemed or cherished
adj. (archaic) overly refined or affected in language or manner
The word "precious" derives from the Latin pretiosus, meaning "of great value," which itself comes from pretium (price, worth). The root preci- (as seen in "appreciate" or "depreciate") retains its core meaning of "value" in modern English. The suffix -ous (from Latin -osus) forms adjectives indicating abundance or possession of a quality. Over time, "precious" expanded from literal value to emotional or aesthetic esteem, and even to ironic or pejorative uses (e.g., "precious few").
She kept her precious jewelry in a locked safe.
Clean water is a precious resource in arid regions.
His grandmother’s letters were precious to him.
The artist’s attention to detail was almost precious.
(Archaic) The nobleman spoke in a precious tone, irritating the commoners.