pre·cious1 /ˈpreʃəs/ ●●○ adjectiveadj 1 EMOTIONALsomething that is precious is valuable and important and should not be wasted or used without care 宝贵的precious seconds/minutes/hours/time We cannot afford to waste precious time. 我们浪费不起宝贵的时间。
planes delivering precious supplies of medicine and food 运送药品、食品等宝贵物资的飞机
our planet’s precious resources 我们星球上的宝贵资源
3 IMPORTANTprecious memories or possessions are important to you because they remind you of people you like or events in your life 〔记忆或拥有物〕珍贵的,宝贵的precious to The doll is cracked and worn, but it’s precious to me because it was my mother’s. 这个娃娃又破又旧,可对我来说很宝贵,因为它是我妈妈用过的。
► see thesaurus at valuable 4 [only before noun] spokenANNOY used to show that you are annoyed that someone seems to care too much about something 宝贝似的〔用于对某人似乎太过注重某事物表示反感〕 I never touched your precious car! 我根本没碰过你的宝贝汽车!
5 spoken used to speak to someone you love, especially a baby or small child 宝贝〔对所爱之人,尤指对婴儿或小孩的称呼〕 Come sit by me, precious. 坐到我旁边来,宝贝。
6 American EnglishAmE spoken used in order to describe someone or something that is small and pretty 可爱的 SYN cute The kids gave me that ornament. Isn’t it precious? 那件装饰品是孩子们送我的,是不是很可爱?
7 NATURAL formal too concerned about style or detail in your writing or speech, so that it does not seem natural 〔言辞〕矫揉造作的 His early work is rather precious and juvenile. 他的早期作品相当做作而且幼稚。
—preciously adverbadv
—preciousness noun [uncountableU]
n COLLOCATIONSnounstimeMy time is precious, and I don't want to waste it.
seconds/moments/minutes/hoursWe knew we only had a few more precious hours together.
resourcesThe government has squandered the country’s precious resources.
commodityWater is a precious commodity.
assetThe organization’s most precious asset is its staff.
giftHer illness made her appreciate more the precious gift of life.