adjective / noun / adverb
dear
DEER/dɪr/
Held at a high value.
She holds the dear old teddy bear against her heart.
Etymology
Old English deore covered both material value and affection: something could be costly or beloved. The selected sense preserves this idea of personal preciousness; the word’s deeper origin is unknown.
In context
dear William dearest blessed child I soon shall see you again in heaven where we shall all be happy
More examples
- She is one of my dearest friends.
- You're a dear for helping me carry these bags.
- Delays cost the company dear in lost sales.
Forms
dear · dearer · dearest · dears
dearly adverb — With deep affection or at great cost.
endear verb — To make someone loved or liked.