endear

[ en-deer ]

/ ɛnˈdɪər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR endear ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to make dear, esteemed, or beloved: He endeared himself to his friends with his gentle ways.

Obsolete. to make costly.

Nearby words

endarteritis, endarterium, endaural, endbrain, endcap, endear, endearing, endearment, endeavor, endeavour, endecott

Origin of endear

First recorded in 1570–80; en-¹ + dear¹

Related formsun·en·deared, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for endear

Once discovered, this maneuver did not endear the councilors to their constituents.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Somehow, this did not endear Lonegan to voters, and Booker officially entered the Senate on Oct. 31st.
The Ugly Truth About Cory Booker, New Jersey’s Golden Boy|Olivia Nuzzi|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her modest celebrity and Manhattan snobberies alternately isolate and endear her to the locals.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Jan. 27, 2014|Thomas Flynn|January 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If he wants to endear himself to the Republican rank and file out in the heartland, he should change his tune on Obama fast.
Why the GOP Doesn’t Love Chris Christie|David Freedlander|February 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Her outspokenness did not endear Rogers to the elite clique of former social secretaries.
The New White House Wallflower|Sandra McElwaine|December 20, 2009|DAILY BEAST
But that is one of the attributes of Mr. Gladstone which endear him so much to his party.
The Grand Old Man|Richard B. Cook
Charm and personal magnetism are the qualities that endear a man to his followers.
The Mother of Parliaments|Harry Graham
Resolve to endear yourself to him, which you may easily do by taking his part when I have vexed him.
A Select Collection of Old English Plays|Robert Dodsley
Adelpha's great misfortune and grief only seemed to endear her to him, for the noblest hearts grow more tender with sorrow.
The Witch of Salem|John R. Musick
Moreover, the countess has a latent vein of fierceness in her nature which in time may endear her to my heart.
Ilka on the Hill-Top and Other Stories|Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen

British Dictionary definitions for endear

endear

/ (ɪnˈdɪə) /

verb

(tr) to cause to be beloved or esteemed

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 endear

endear

1580s, "to enhance the value of," also "win the affection of," from en- (1) "make, put in" + dear (adj.). Meaning "to make dear" is from 1640s. Related: Endeared; endearing.

endear

verb (used with object)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of endear

Examples from the Web for endear

British Dictionary definitions for endear

endear

verb

Word Origin and History for endear

endear