dear me

Idioms  

1. Also, oh dear. A polite exclamation expressing surprise, distress, sympathy, etc. For example, Dear me, I forgot to mail it, or Oh dear, what a bad time you've been having. These usages may originally have invoked God, as in, which also continue to be so used. [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

At first, she said, she thought: “‘Oh, no, dear me, I am a literary author.

From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2023

Lap 52/67:Vettel made an error heading into the Saxe Turn, going too wide, and found himself unable to correct - there wasn’t the room - so into the barrier he went, and oh dear me!

From The Guardian • Jul. 22, 2018

"But if it worked badly, like Credit Suisse, then, dear me, nothing can be allowed to be paid out."

From Reuters • Apr. 13, 2017

Oh, that’s what it is — oh, dear me.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2015

“You are quite right, Cassiopeia. And, dear me, nobody is going to the guillotine! Come along, everyone. We must speak to Judge Quinzy.”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood