gem
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
jehmIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈdʒɛm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
figuratively
Any precious or highly valued thing or person.
Anything of small size, or expressed within brief limits, which is regarded as a gem on account of its beauty or value, such as a small picture, a verse of poetry, or an epigram.
Art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
A diminutive of the female given name Gemma.
A native or resident of the American state of Idaho.
verb
transitive
To adorn with, or as if with, gems.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- General and technical use
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A precious stone, usually of substantial monetary value or prized for its beauty or shine.
Used this way, gem is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It suits reflective writing more than quick conversation.
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Slightly formal
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Beautiful or graceful
- Usage feel
- Reflective and slightly elevated
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use gem
- “He had the gem set in a ring for his wife.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to adorn with or or as if with
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.