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

Maybe only on second reading do we realize that we’ve been reading a kind of Dear John letter to America.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

On this record, “Red Eye Flight” could be a goodbye to a lover, or it could be a Dear John letter to addiction.

From Salon • Sep. 2, 2025

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

From New York Times • Dec. 30, 2023

Supporters of the kakariki karaka - a green parakeet - put up billboards reading: "Dear John, don't disrupt the pecking order".

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2023

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