dear

¹ American  

[deer] / dɪər /

adjective

• dearer,
  comparative
• dearest
  superlative

1. beloved or loved.

   a dear friend.

   Synonyms:

   darling

2. (used in the salutation of a letter as an expression of affection or respect or as a conventional greeting).

   Dear Sir.

3. precious in one's regard; cherished.

   our dearest possessions.

4. heartfelt; earnest.

   one's dearest wish.

5. high-priced; expensive.

   The silk dress was too dear.

6. charging high prices.

   That shop is too dear for my budget.

7. excessive; high.

   a dear price to pay for one's independence.

8. Obsolete. difficult to get; scarce.

9. Obsolete. worthy; honorable.

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noun

• dears
  plural

1. a person who is good, kind, or generous.

   You're a dear to help me with the work.

2. a beloved one.

3. (sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address, as to a child or romantic partner (sometimes offensive when used to a stranger, subordinate, etc.)

adverb

1. dearly; fondly.

2. at a high price.

   That painting cost me dear.

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation of surprise, distress, etc.).

   Oh dear, what a disappointment! Dear me! What's all that noise?

dear ² American  

[deer] / dɪər /

Or dere

adjective

Archaic.

• dearer,
  comparative
• dearest
  superlative

1. hard; grievous.

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dear British  

/ dɪə /

adjective

1. beloved; precious

2. used in conventional forms of address preceding a title or name, as in Dear Sir or my dear Mr Smith

3. important; close

   a wish dear to her heart

4. 1. highly priced

   2. charging high prices

5. appealing or pretty

   what a dear little ring!

6. urgently or with extreme vigour or desperation

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interjection

1. used in exclamations of surprise or dismay, such as Oh dear! and dear me!

noun

1. (often used in direct address) someone regarded with affection and tenderness; darling

adverb

1. dearly

   his errors have cost him dear

dear Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dear

• for dear life
• nearest and dearest

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Synonym Usage

See expensive.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dearness
  noun
• dearly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dears
  plural

Adjectives

• dearer
  comparative
• dearest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of dear¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English dere, deire, Old English dēore, dīore, dȳre; cognate with Old High German tiuri, Old Norse dȳrr

Origin of dear²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English dere “fierce, hard,” Old English dēor “brave, bold, severe”

Explanation

If someone or something is dear to you, it means you hold them or it very close to your heart, as in "My country is very dear to me" or "She is a dear friend." As a written form of address — such as "Dear Mr. So-and-so" — dear is generally a polite but impersonal standard greeting. Dear can sometimes mean expensive, as in "The cost of food is so dear these days," though that's a rather dated usage nowadays. Used about children, baby animals, or other examples of insufferable cuteness, dear can also mean "sweet" or "adorable." In this sense, dear is a favorite word of grandmothers and other doting relations.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dear dears dearer dearest

It’s actually our Mother’s Day tradition and very dear to my heart.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

The title of Ryan Effgen’s appealing debut novel, “Make Nice,” alludes to the pet exhortation of dear old mom; it’s what she hoped for from her offspring at this five-day reunion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

"Very sad news of the death of Bill Oddie: birder, comedian, musician, artist and environmental campaigner, and dear friend and colleague to me and many others," Moss wrote, external.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Your stepmother might say: “Of course, my dear, that makes perfect sense. I appreciate you telling me in advance.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

I lope up the hills and ledges, along the paths, and soon smell my own scent—oh dear, I left quite a scent trail after being trapped for so long.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

“We didn’t keep that,” she said, “but I loved learning what Lydia would do if she could. ‘Eyes forward dears, we are not sitting comfortably in a class room.’”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2025

I would think to myself, Oh, my dears, if you could only see who you are speaking to and how hard they work.

From Slate ● Apr. 4, 2024

By ingesting the chirpy little dears, Bergenkind seeks to internalize the little guys’ sunny joyfulness.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2016

Carnage as the old dears mount an assault on the dancefloor.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 12, 2013

“Ah, her friends. Then they are welcome. My dears, pray be seated.”

From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers

Meanwhile, what got cheaper diverged sharply from what got dearer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

But the money would not go far, he said, as costs have gone up and "everything has gone dearer".

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

In the Hungarian countryside, activism often comes at a price, some dearer than others, as campaigners in Jaszfenyszaru can attest.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

But in 2023, artists also took another step in reclaiming aspects of our humanity and holding them a little dearer.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2023

I was a bride, promenading down the center aisle of San Juan Evangelista twenty years back to marry the man with whom I would have our dear children, dearer than my life.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

My husband and I watch “Love Is Blind” with one of those nearest and dearest, and we three approach each season like rabid sports fans who are only in it to yell at the TV.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026

“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” she wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

As long as you and your wife have enough set aside for retirement, keep living the dream and passing it along to your nearest and dearest.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

Ms Bush said Matthew Upham, a local antiques dealer, was one of her "very dearest friends" who she had known for 30 years.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

“I never said he was my dearest love, and yes, he will save me; that I know.”

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Related Words

• valuable