precious

précieux

Qui vaut beaucoup d’argent ou qui est très utile et important.

En anglais simple : Worth a lot of money, or very useful and important.

• Gold is a precious metal.
• Do not waste precious water.
• The delay cost us precious time.

Synonymes : valuable

Contraires : worthless

Expressions courantes : precious metal, precious stones, precious time

cher, précieux

Auquel quelqu’un tient beaucoup par amour ou par affection.

En anglais simple : Very dear to someone because they love or care about it.

• That photo is precious to me.
• We shared some precious moments together.
• She kept every precious letter from her father.

Comment l'utiliser : precious to someone (These memories are precious to us.)

Synonymes : dear, cherished, beloved

Expressions courantes : precious memories, precious moments, precious to someone

jaloux, susceptible

Qui refuse qu’on modifie ou critique ce qui lui tient à cœur, souvent de façon excessive.

En anglais simple : Unwilling to let others change or criticize something you care about, often more than seems reasonable.

• He is precious about his recipes.
• Do not be too precious about your first draft.
• She became less precious about her work over time.

Comment l'utiliser : precious about something (The designer is very precious about her drawings.)

Synonymes : overprotective, possessive

Expressions courantes : precious about something, too precious, rather precious

fieffé, sacré

Renforce une description négative en soulignant qu’elle s’applique pleinement.

En anglais simple : Complete or total, used to give extra force to a negative description.

• You are a precious fool!
• That precious rascal has taken my hat again.
• What precious nonsense he talks!

Synonymes : complete, utter

Expressions courantes : precious fool, precious rascal, precious nonsense

très, extrêmement

Renforce une qualité, souvent devant un mot exprimant une petite quantité pour souligner le manque.

En anglais simple : Very; often used before words meaning a small amount to stress how little there is.

• We have precious little time.
• Precious few people knew the answer.
• There was precious little left to eat.

Synonymes : very, extremely

Expressions courantes : precious little, precious few