Select the ANTONYM of the given word. PRECIOUS

Concept: An antonym is a word whose meaning is opposite to that of the given word. To choose it, first fix the core sense of the given word, then look for the option that reverses that core sense (not one that merely relates to it).

Application: The core sense of ‘precious’ is having great value or worth. The opposite of ‘great value’ is ‘no value’. The choice that names ‘having no worth or use’ is ‘Worthless’, so it is the antonym.

Contrast with the other choices by meaning:

• Valued – means held to be of worth; this restates the positive sense of precious rather than reversing it.

• Loved – expresses affection or emotional attachment; this is about feeling rather than worth, a different idea from ‘precious’ (not its opposite).

• Costly – means expensive or high in price; this is a near-synonym on the value axis, not its opposite.

Result: Only ‘Worthless’ reverses the core sense of value, so it is the antonym of precious.