dear

[deer]

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?

Origin of dear

before 900; Middle English dere, Old English dēore; cognate with Old High German tiuri, Old Norse dȳrr

Related formsdear·ly, adverbdear·ness, noun

Synonyms for dear

1. darling, cherished. 5. See expensive.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for dears

valuable, honey, pet, familiar, darling, close, intimate, high, steep, fancy, stiff, sweetheart, heartthrob, love, treasure, favorite, lover, loved, precious, respected

Examples from the Web for dears

Historical Examples of dears

"I am not in the least tired, thank you, dears," she replied.
The Yates Pride
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
With regard to the fluted pillars in the portico, my dears—'
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens
Nay, my dears, why blush at being detected in your everyday pursuits?
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens
She has nothing to gain from me, my dears, and she knows it.'
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens
My dears, I have my thoughts upon the subject, but I will not impart them.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for dears

dear

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 Formsdearness, 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

Word Origin and History for dears

dear

adj.

Old English deore "precious, valuable, costly, loved, beloved," from Proto-Germanic *deurjaz (cf. Old Saxon diuri, Old Norse dyrr, Old Frisian diore, Middle Dutch dure, Dutch duur, Old High German tiuri, German teuer), ultimate origin unknown. Used interjectorily since 1690s. As a polite introductory word to letters, it is attested from mid-15c. As a noun, from late 14c., perhaps short for dear one, etc.

Idioms and Phrases with dears

dear

In addition to the idiom beginning with dear

dear me

also see:

for dear life
nearest and dearest