dear

[ deer ]

/ dɪər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dear 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?

Origin of dear

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

SYNONYMS FOR dear

1 darling, cherished.

5 See expensive.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dear ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM dear

dear·ly, adverb dear·ness, noun

Words nearby dear

dean's list, deane, deanery, deanna, deanthropomorphism, dear, dear john, dear john letter, dear me, dearborn, dearborn heights

Definition for dearest (2 of 2)

dear ²

or dere

[ deer ]

/ dɪər /

adjective, dear·er, dear·est. Archaic.

hard; grievous.

Origin of dear

before 1000; Middle English dere, Old English dēor brave, bold, severe

Example sentences from the Web for dearest

“Dearest ladies with families,” he begins, sitting in a suit in a well-decorated room.

The Punk Behind Iran's Only Vampire Spaghetti Western-Style Love Story |Melissa Leon |November 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Dearest love to you, every day, always, dearest potato-pipe.

Leonard Bernstein Asked About Hemingway, So Martha Gellhorn Set the Record Straight |Leonard Bernstein, Martha Gellhorn |October 27, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
His subsequent marriages were primarily to form alliances with his nearest and dearest as well as with more remote followers.

Mohammad Was Not a Womanizer, and Other Common Misconceptions About Islam Debunked |Olga M. Davidson |September 13, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
But nearest and dearest to his heart is his humanitarian work.

Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas Sounds Off on Republicans at the DNC |Marlow Stern |September 6, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

“My dearest friend and my most trusted confidante to this day is Janice Ward,” Moceanu writes.

11 Juiciest Bits from Dominique Moceanu’s Memoir, ‘Off Balance’ |Caitlin Dickson |June 19, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Is it not from our nearest relative that our dearest secret is usually withheld?

Barlasch of the Guard |H. S. Merriman
It does grieve me, my ever dearest Miss Mitford, to hear of the suffering which has fallen upon you!

The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1 of 2) |Frederic G. Kenyon
Dearest Fanny,—About a week ago I found myself thinking a good deal about you.

The Letters of William James, Vol. II |William James
Your wish shall be fulfilled, dearest, answered Wagner; and without delay will I seek the other side of the island.

Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf |George W. M. Reynolds
I dread to flatter myself and to be disappointed, I will write again, dearest mother, to-morrow.

Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10) |Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for dearest

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; close a wish dear to her heart

highly priced
charging high prices

appealing or pretty what 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

dearly his errors have cost him dear

Derived forms of dear

dearness, noun

Word Origin for dear

Old English dēore; related to Old Norse dӯrr

Idioms and Phrases with dearest

dear

In addition to the idiom beginning with dear

dear me

also see:

for dear life
nearest and dearest

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

dear

adjective, dear·er, dear·est.

noun

adverb

interjection

Origin of dear

SYNONYMS FOR dear

OTHER WORDS FROM dear

Words nearby dear

Definition for dearest (2 of 2)

or dere

adjective, dear·er, dear·est. Archaic.

Origin of dear

Example sentences from the Web for dearest

British Dictionary definitions for dearest

adjective

interjection

noun

adverb

Derived forms of dear

Word Origin for dear

Idioms and Phrases with dearest

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

dear

adjective, dear·er, dear·est.

noun

adverb

interjection

Origin of dear

SYNONYMS FOR dear

OTHER WORDS FROM dear

Words nearby dear

Definition for dearest (2 of 2)

or dere

adjective, dear·er, dear·est. Archaic.

Origin of dear

Words related to dearest

Example sentences from the Web for dearest

British Dictionary definitions for dearest

adjective

interjection

noun

adverb

Derived forms of dear

Word Origin for dear

Idioms and Phrases with dearest