dear - What does it mean?
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Definition of 'dear'English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) dere, from (etyl) .
Adjective
(er)
Loved; lovable.
*
*:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
Loving, affectionate, heartfelt
:
Precious to or greatly valued by someone.
:
High in price; expensive.
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A formal way to start (possibly after my ) addressing somebody at the beginning of a letter, memo etc.
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A formal way to start (often after my ) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly.
:
*|chapter=7
|title= The Mirror and the Lamp
|passage=“A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing.
An ironic way to start (often after my ) addressing an inferior.
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(lb) Noble.
Derived terms
* dearly
* dear me
* dearness
Noun
( en-noun)
A very kind, loving person.
- My cousin is such a dear , always drawing me pictures.
A beloved person
Synonyms
* (kind loving person) darling
Derived terms
* oh dear
* the dear knows
Verb
( en-verb)
(obsolete) To endear.
- (Shelton)
Adverb
( en-adv)
(obsolete) dearly; at a high price
* Shakespeare
- If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear .
Etymology 2
(etyl) dere, from (etyl) . Cognate with the above
Adjective
( en-adj)
Severe(ly affected), sore
Statistics
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Similar to 'dear'dar, deer, door, dier, dir, doer, dor, dyer, dour, duar, douar, dower, dur, dauer, dewar, dyor, darr, dtor, dayer, dhuhr, dorr
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