précieuse

English

Etymology

French précieuse

Noun

précieuse (plural précieuses)

1. (chiefly derogatory) Someone (especially a woman) who affects refinement and delicacy; a fastidious or pretentious woman. [from 17th c.]
   • 1920, Hart Crane, letter, 14 April:

     I like Marion Moore in a certain way. […] But she is too much of a precieuse for my adulation.

See also

• preciosity

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

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Adjective

précieuse

1. feminine singular of précieux