Precioso vs. hermoso

[laepelba]

Although they are listed as synonyms, I would guess that there are subtle differences between the two words. Would someone please elaborate on that for me? Thanks!!

[aleCcowaN]

Hermoso means of great beauty, and precioso means of great value or worth, or unique, and by extension, it means also cherished, esteemed, dear on one hand, and excellent or exquisite on the other. Colloquially you may use precioso meaning hermoso as value follows beauty in the popular mind and any cherished thing is beautiful.

[Don José]

Here, colloquially, people can say a child is "hermoso", meaning that he is strong and healthy.

[JPablo]

I agree with the above. (Oxford gives some good examples of usages.)

hermoso = beautiful, lovely; handsome; fine
a (bello) beautiful, lovely; un hermoso poema = a beautiful poem
b (grande, magnífico) splendid; le sirvieron una hermosa porción de pastel = they gave her a generous or lovely big piece of cake; un hermoso ejemplar de esta especie = a fine or splendid example of this species; ¡qué manzanas tan hermosas ! = what lovely apples!
c (lozano, corpulento) big and healthy, bonny; ¡qué hermoso está este niño! = what a bonny o a big healthy child he is!; su novia es bien hermosota (AmL) = his girlfriend is a great big healthy-looking girl, his girlfriend is a strapping o a big, bonny lass (BrE colloq)
d (noble) ‹ acción/gesto › noble

precioso
adj. precious; nice, lovely; beautiful
a (hermoso) beautiful, gorgeous, lovely
b (de gran valor) precious, valuable; estamos perdiendo un tiempo precioso = we’re wasting precious or valuable time


Ahí lo tienes, maja.
(Literally, "There you have it, nice [person]")
majo1 -ja adj (Esp fam)
a ‹ persona › (simpático) nice;
majo2 -ja m, f
1 (Esp) (apelativo): bueno majo, me despido right, (pal), I’m off;

[laepelba]

Thanks, all - that's helpful!!