valuable

valuable — adjective

1. describes an object that you could sell for a large amount of money because it i

1.形容詞A2
釋義

describes an object that you could sell for a large amount of money because it is made from precious materials, is rare, or is highly desired by collectors.

例句

Saira's grandmother gave her a valuable gold necklace from the family collection.

collocation: valuable + precious object (gold necklace, diamond ring)

The painting was far more valuable than the auction house had expected.

同義詞
  • precious

    emphasises rarity and emotional significance, not just price

  • costly

    stresses high expense, often implying sacrifice or effort

  • expensive

    describes a high purchase price; more conversational than 'valuable'

反義詞
  • worthless

    having no monetary value whatsoever

  • cheap

    low in price; opposite of expensive rather than valuable

文法句型

valuable + noun

be + valuable

valuable to + noun

用法筆記

Often used before nouns naming specific valuable objects (painting, jewellery, stamp, antique, watch). In predicative position, 'valuable to' specifies the person who attaches worth: 'This ring is valuable to her for sentimental reasons.'

常見錯誤

❌This watch is valuable 500 dollars.
✅This watch is worth 500 dollars.
💡'valuable' describes a high level of worth, not a specific price.
❌My grandmother's ring is valuable — I would never sell it.' (when meaning priceless)
✅My grandmother's ring is priceless.
💡'priceless' means so valuable that no price can be set; 'valuable' simply means worth a lot.

2. extremely useful or important — used for things you learn, advice you receive, o

2.形容詞A2
釋義

extremely useful or important — used for things you learn, advice you receive, or help that someone gives you, which makes a real difference in a situation.

例句

Joshua gained valuable experience working at the hospital during his summer break.

collocation: valuable experience / valuable lesson / valuable advice — most common abstract nouns with this sense

The workshop offered valuable advice on how to start a small business from home.

同義詞
  • useful

    practical help in getting something done; less strong than 'valuable'

  • helpful

    direct assistance or support from a person or thing

  • beneficial

    produces good results for health, growth, or well-being

  • worthwhile

    justifies the time or effort spent; emphasises the payoff

反義詞
  • useless

    providing no help or benefit whatsoever

  • pointless

    not worth doing; no useful purpose is served

文法句型

valuable + abstract noun

be + valuable

valuable to + noun/pronoun

valuable for + noun/gerund

用法筆記

Commonly collocates with abstract nouns such as 'experience', 'advice', 'lesson', 'information', 'contribution', 'insight', 'skill'. The intensifier 'extremely' appears more often with this sense than 'very' does. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not describe physical objects.

常見錯誤

❌Her help was invaluable to me — it saved me ten minutes.
✅Her help was valuable to me
💡it saved me ten minutes.' — 'invaluable' means 'extremely useful, almost impossible to do without'; it is a much stronger word and is out of place for small favours.
❌This book is valuable for my research.' (when meaning 'useful, helps me')
✅correct
💡this is appropriate use of sense 2.

valuable — noun