dear

[ deer ]

/ dɪər /

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See synonyms for: dear / dearer / dearest / dearly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, dear·er, dear·est.

beloved or loved: a dear friend.

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

precious in one's regard; cherished: our dearest possessions.

heartfelt; earnest: one's dearest wish.

high-priced; expensive: The silk dress was too dear.

charging high prices: That shop is too dear for my budget.

excessive; high: a dear price to pay for one's independence.

Obsolete. difficult to get; scarce.

Obsolete. worthy; honorable.

noun

a person who is good, kind, or generous: You're a dear to help me with the work.

a beloved one.

(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

dearly; fondly.

at a high price: That painting cost me dear.

interjection

(used as an exclamation of surprise, distress, etc.): Oh dear, what a disappointment! Dear me! What's all that noise?

OTHER WORDS FOR dear

1 darling, cherished.

See synonyms for dear on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of dear

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

synonym study for dear

5. See expensive.

OTHER WORDS FROM dear

dearly, adverbdearness, noun

Other definitions for dear (2 of 2)

dear²

or dere

[ deer ]

/ dɪər /

adjective, dear·er, dear·est.Archaic.

hard; grievous.

Origin of dear

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dear in a sentence

"I think not yet, dears; she must be kept very, very quiet," was the gently spoken reply.
Elsie's Vacation and After Events|Martha Finley
I believe, my dears, that I am the proudest story-teller that ever lived.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz|L. Frank Baum
“A very pretty young man, my dears,” said she, as we drove away.
My Lady Ludlow|Elizabeth Gaskell
"My dears, he frightened me to death," Pauline declared to her family when Mr. Hazlewood had left the Rectory.
Plashers Mead|Compton Mackenzie

Yes, my dears, you will see the regular old-fashioned comic business that used to delight me when I was a boy.
Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 99., December 27, 1890|Various

British Dictionary definitions for dear

dear

/ (dɪə) /

adjective

beloved; precious

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

(postpositive foll by to) important; closea wish dear to her heart

highly priced
charging high prices

appealing or prettywhat a dear little ring!

for dear life urgently or with extreme vigour or desperation

interjection

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

noun

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

adverb

dearlyhis errors have cost him dear

Derived forms of dear

dearness, noun

Word Origin for dear

Old English dēore; related to Old Norse dӯrr

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with dear

dear

In addition to the idiom beginning with dear

dear me

also see:

for dear life
nearest and dearest

dear

OTHER WORDS FOR dear

Origin of dear

synonym study for dear

OTHER WORDS FROM dear

Other definitions for dear (2 of 2)

or dere

Origin of dear

Words related to dear

How to use dear in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dear

Derived forms of dear

Word Origin for dear

Other Idioms and Phrases with dear