1
: highly valued : precious
a dear friend
Our friendship is very dear to me.
ran for dear life
—often used in a salutationdear Sir
2
: affectionate, fond
3
: high or exorbitant in price : expensive
eggs are very dear just now
4
: heartfelt
our dearest prayers
5
obsolete
: noble
dearness
noun
1
: dearly sense 3
the effort cost them dear
2
: dearly sense 1
so dear I loved the man—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare1
: a loved one : sweetheart
How was your day, dear?
2
: a lovable person
Be a dear and get me a drink.
—used especially to express annoyance or dismay
Oh dear!
Synonyms
Examples of dear in a Sentence
Noun
Be a dear and take this for me.
Recent Examples on the WebUSA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
Thomas’s purpose and intention for this brunch was to honor and celebrate a film he’s held dear to him since childhood.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Dec. 2023
The Puerto Rican hitmaker was spotted gifting one of his sparkly necklaces to a young fan who couldn’t hold back the dears as his idol gave him this special gift.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 29 July 2023
There was also a giant model of Iron Man, a Marvel superhero dear to Dr. Howard.
—Noreen Malone, New York Times, 1 June 2023
Such are the changes in language and culture over time, a subject dear to the pen of Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada, Reno.
—Dave Shiflett, wsj.com, 11 May 2023
Barbie will also donate $25,000 to Asian American LEAD, a nonprofit dear to Wong that serves low-income and underserved Asian Pacific American youth.
—Christopher Brito, CBS News, 1 May 2023
See you tomorrow, my dear.
—Marion Renault, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2022
Dont go there, my dear, said John.
—New York Times, 14 Oct. 2022
Jericka Duncan, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Lying on the sofa a few days later, drifting in and out of sleep, an image formed in my head of me with two dear friends—Elvis Costello and Kris Kristofferson.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Those, dear friends, are the mysteries of life that no scan can tell us.
—Max Berlinger, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2024
Then, Erykah Badu, dressed in an eye-catching Marni look (hat, included!) took to the stage to introduce her dear friend Francesco Risso.
—Sam Sussman, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
According to the new series logline, when one of their dearest friends dies suddenly, the OG residents of Melrose Place gather to honor the deceased.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2024
Luck is on your side this week, Gemini, as a remarkable door could open that leads you to celebrate a victory dear to your heart.
—Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
And a dear friend of mine who was going to be putting it on, Jake Garber, who’s one of the best special effects makeup guys in the business.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
So, dear reader, have fun adjusting the electorate and seeing just how the election could play out under different circumstances.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
As the moon and Neptune harmonize, explore a spiritual study dear to your heart.
—USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
Thomas’s purpose and intention for this brunch was to honor and celebrate a film he’s held dear to him since childhood.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Dec. 2023
The Puerto Rican hitmaker was spotted gifting one of his sparkly necklaces to a young fan who couldn’t hold back the dears as his idol gave him this special gift.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 29 July 2023
There was also a giant model of Iron Man, a Marvel superhero dear to Dr. Howard.
—Noreen Malone, New York Times, 1 June 2023
Such are the changes in language and culture over time, a subject dear to the pen of Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada, Reno.
—Dave Shiflett, wsj.com, 11 May 2023
Barbie will also donate $25,000 to Asian American LEAD, a nonprofit dear to Wong that serves low-income and underserved Asian Pacific American youth.
—Christopher Brito, CBS News, 1 May 2023
See you tomorrow, my dear.
—Marion Renault, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2022
Dont go there, my dear, said John.
—New York Times, 14 Oct. 2022
Adjective
Jericka Duncan: — your dear friend died by suicide.
—Jericka Duncan, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Lying on the sofa a few days later, drifting in and out of sleep, an image formed in my head of me with two dear friends—Elvis Costello and Kris Kristofferson.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Those, dear friends, are the mysteries of life that no scan can tell us.
—Max Berlinger, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2024
Then, Erykah Badu, dressed in an eye-catching Marni look (hat, included!) took to the stage to introduce her dear friend Francesco Risso.
—Sam Sussman, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
According to the new series logline, when one of their dearest friends dies suddenly, the OG residents of Melrose Place gather to honor the deceased.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2024
Luck is on your side this week, Gemini, as a remarkable door could open that leads you to celebrate a victory dear to your heart.
—Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
And a dear friend of mine who was going to be putting it on, Jake Garber, who’s one of the best special effects makeup guys in the business.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
So, dear reader, have fun adjusting the electorate and seeing just how the election could play out under different circumstances.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Dear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dear. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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