adj.
    - having great value.
- greatly loved or treasured by someone.
- informal, chiefly ironic considerable:![]()  a precious lot you know! 
- derogatory affectedly concerned with elegant or refined language or manners.
n.
 a term of address to a beloved person.
Phrase
  
    
      - precious little 
(or few)
 informal extremely little (or few).
 
  Derivative
  
    - preciously adv.
- preciousness n.
 
  Etymology
  ME: from OFr. precios, from L. pretiosus ‘of great value’, from pretium ‘price’.