- Definition of "Valuable"
- As an adjective, "valuable" means having great worth in terms of money, usefulness, or importance. For example, "The diamond is very valuable." It can also refer to something that is of great help or benefit. For example, "Her advice was valuable to me."
- Grammatical Usage
- "Valuable" is used to modify nouns and usually comes before the noun it describes. For example, "They found a valuable treasure." It can also be used after a linking verb such as "is" or "are". For example, "These antiques are valuable."
- Synonyms and Their Meanings
- Precious:
- "Precious" also means of great value, especially because of being rare, expensive, or loved. For example, "The precious jewels were locked in a safe." The difference between "precious" and "valuable" is that "precious" often has a stronger emotional connotation, such as something being cherished or held dear.
- Costly:
- "Costly" means expensive or high - priced. For example, "The costly car was a symbol of his wealth." While "valuable" can refer to both monetary and non - monetary value, "costly" focuses more on the price or the amount of money something would cost.
- Invaluable:
- "Invaluable" means extremely useful or valuable. For example, "Her experience was invaluable to the project." The interesting thing about "invaluable" is that it seems to suggest a value so high that it's almost impossible to measure, as opposed to a more quantifiable "valuable."
- Worthy:
- "Worthy" means having sufficient worth or value. For example, "He was a worthy candidate for the award." It implies a sense of deserving based on merit or value. It's a bit more about meeting a standard of value or worthiness rather than just having a high value like "valuable."
- Precious:
- Usage and Nuance Differences
- Precious:
- Use "precious" when you want to emphasize the emotional value or the rarity and the fact that something is cherished. It's often used for things like jewels, memories, or loved ones.
- Costly:
- "Costly" is the best choice when the focus is on the price or the expense of something. It's used to describe items that have a high monetary value.
- Invaluable:
- Use "invaluable" when you want to stress the extreme usefulness or the value that is so high it's hard to put a number on. It's often used to describe intangible things like knowledge, skills, or advice.
- Worthy:
- "Worthy" is appropriate when you want to convey a sense of something or someone being deserving of a particular status, recognition, or treatment based on their value or merit.
- Precious:
In conclusion, these synonyms of "valuable" provide different ways to express the concept of value, allowing you to choose the most appropriate word depending on the context, whether it's about monetary value, emotional value, usefulness, or worthiness.