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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

Sara and I grieve with the American people over the loss of our dear friend, Senator Lindsey Graham.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

It really was a labor of love, and I think it’s one those memories I hold very near and dear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

"Our thoughts and prayers are for her dear family and friends," it added.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

"God willing... we will go together to say goodbye to our dear leader."

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

When she addressed him as “My dear friend—” Elisha scolded that all the “warmth and affection seem to be on my side.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

“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

He helped a few old dears over the threshold, didn't he?'

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2023

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

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2016

“Aye, I wonder which she will. Poor little dears, how glad they will be to come. They are very fond of being at Hartfield, Harriet.”

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

"You can give away lots of points, but if you're £5 dearer than your competitor, people will swap anyway."

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

"Of course Gaza is dearer than here, but there, there is no home left, nothing."

From Barron's ● May 9, 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

“The freedom I had before the money was paid was dearer to me,” Ms. Jacobs wrote.

From New York Times ● Jul. 28, 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

Even the non-thriller themes — female friendship, aging, ageism, admitting the truth about oneself to oneself and one’s dearest, the invigorating effects of danger — are explicitly expressed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

The 43-year-old said his pug, called Alan Shearer after the ex-England football captain, was his "dearest friend" and "guardian angel".

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

It’s a recipe that’s meant to be shared and enjoyed with your dearest loved ones.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

Your nearest and dearest may be aware you do it, but you don’t discuss it with strangers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

Upon this occasion my father said, with an expression of unbounded wonder, “My dearest Victor, what infatuation is this? My dear son, I entreat you never to make such an assertion again.”

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Related Words

• valuable