endear
Americanverb (used with object)
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endears,
present (3rd person singular)
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endeared,
past participle, past
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endearing
present participle
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to make dear, esteemed, or beloved.
He endeared himself to his friends with his gentle ways.
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Obsolete. to make costly.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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endearsimple
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endearssimple
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have endearedperfect
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has endearedperfect
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am endearingprogressive
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are endearingprogressive
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is endearingprogressive
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have been endearingperfect progressive
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has been endearingperfect progressive
Past
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endearedsimple
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had endearedperfect
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was endearingprogressive
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were endearingprogressive
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had been endearingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of endear
Explanation
Things that endear you to others — like your sense of humor or your skill at baking chocolate chip cookies — cause them to be fond of you. The verb endear is almost always followed by the word "to," as in the sentence "The teacher's ready smile and gentle voice endear him to the class of kindergartners." When something endears you to another person, he or she adores you. In the 1500s, endear meant "increase the value of," though it quickly came to mean "make dear," or perhaps to increase the emotional value, especially of another person.
Vocabulary lists containing endear
Grade 10, List 5
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Born a Crime
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It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mbappé’s individual numbers haven’t been enough to endear him to Madridistas either.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
We’re seeing a lot of analog consumption and fashion come back, which ties to an overall broader need for artists to endear themselves to fans, so they find more ways to appreciate meaningful art.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
This marketing strategy naturally didn’t endear him to others in his industry, since it implied that they were moving too fast and in the process breaking things.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
As one can imagine, this does nothing to endear Carol to Laxmi.
From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2025
Unsurprisingly, the Battle of Bataan does little to endear Filipinos to their occupiers.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
He’s staying clean and projecting a quirky charm that endears him to others — initially, at least.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025
His running inner monologue endears us to him by ostensibly revealing his vulnerabilities and insecurities to the audience.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2025
Rob Cross is usually a fairly popular thrower too but Evans has that maverick attitude and appearance that endears him to the pundits.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2024
The hothead look isn’t necessarily a good one - though Sirianni endears himself to Eagles fans when he barks at visiting fans.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 26, 2023
Clear, sure, and strong is the vocal loveliness and inevitable word with which this poet endears the little forms of life in the field of Faery.
From The Cup of Comus Fact and Fancy by Cawein, Madison Julius
"Gebremariam endeared himself to his employees during both these black swan events, especially his backing of the pilots and engineers at Ethiopian," Sanjay Lazar, CEO of Avialaz Consultants, told the BBC.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Obama endeared himself to voters, especially younger ones, by coming off as the cool college professor who manages to sound erudite without being condescending.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
That lighthearted attitude is what endeared Wallace to Randolph before the teen even joined the team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
She endeared herself to the British public when she appeared in 2010 on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" show where celebrities with no dance experience are paired with a professional partner.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
So the fact that I did speak African languages immediately endeared me to the black kids.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
That demand for endearing imperfection is also helping to sustain one of the country's oldest papermaking traditions.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Sean Bean brings a lifelong passion for birds—and his endearing Yorkshire accent—to a meditative, freewheeling celebration of the natural world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Their wide-eyed optimism and curiosity is endearing and even motivating.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
“The talent have talent,” Carpenter tells Cricket during one of his endearing rants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Everyone in the family still called him Barry, which I found endearing.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
