Dear John

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a letter from a woman informing her boyfriend or fiancé that she is ending their relationship or informing her husband that she wants a divorce.

   Nothing is worse for a soldier's morale than getting a Dear John.

2. any letter terminating a relationship.

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Etymology

Origin of Dear John

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

But not long after Mr. Angeloni opened his account, he got his own Dear John letter.

From New York Times • Dec. 30, 2023

In "Would've, Could've, Should've" which was written 12 years after the release of "Dear John," Swift is finally the age that her former boyfriend was when he dated her at 19.

From Salon • Sep. 17, 2023

He chose Dear John, sung by Eddi Reader but written by Kirsty MacColl about the end of her marriage.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2022

Did anybody else find it terribly coincidental that Urban Meyer got a Dear John letter from the Jaguars on college football’s National Letter of Intent Day?

From Seattle Times • Dec. 17, 2021

I had been right about her writing him a Dear John letter, and it really messed him up.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers