dear
dear
Pronunciation
/dɪər/.
dear:
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
/ɪə/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel followed by a schwa, forming a diphthong
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
Word Form Variations
As an Adjective:
Positive: dear (e.g., "a dear friend")
Comparative: dearer (e.g., "He is dearer to me than anyone.")
Superlative: dearest (e.g., "my dearest wish")
As a Noun:
Singular: dear (referring to a beloved person, or sometimes an affectionate term of address, e.g., "You're a dear to help me.")
Plural: dears (e.g., "Hello, my dears.")
As an Adverb:
dear (less common, often in phrases like "cost him dear," meaning at a high price or with significant suffering)
dearly (more common, meaning with great affection or at a high price, e.g., "He loves her dearly," "It cost him dearly.")
As an Interjection:
dear (often in exclamations like "Oh dear!" or "Dear me!" to express surprise, distress, or sympathy)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition: Held in high affection; beloved or cherished; regarded with deep fondness and warmth.
Synonyms: beloved, cherished, precious, treasured, adored, esteemed
Antonyms: disliked, hated, loathed, despised, estranged, unloved
Example: "She was a dear friend who always offered a kind word."
Definition: Costing a great deal; expensive or high in price, often implying a significant financial burden.
Synonyms: costly, expensive, pricey, steep, pricy (informal), exorbitant
Antonyms: cheap, inexpensive, affordable, economical, low-cost
Example: "The vintage car proved to be a dear purchase, requiring constant repairs."
Noun
Definition: A beloved person; an individual for whom one holds deep affection and tenderness. Often used as a term of endearment.
Synonyms: sweetheart, darling, beloved, love, honey (informal), pet (informal)
Antonyms: (Contextual, as it refers to a relationship, not an opposite type of person) foe, enemy, adversary
Example: "Come here, my dear, and tell me all about your day."
Definition: (Informal) A kind or helpful person; someone who acts in a considerate or generous manner.
Synonyms: angel, gem, sweetheart, good soul, helper
Antonyms: jerk, brute, cad, scoundrel
Example: "You're an absolute dear for helping me move all these boxes!"
Adverb
Definition: At great cost or with significant personal sacrifice; involving severe consequences or hardship.
Synonyms: expensively, dearly, at a high price, at great cost
Antonyms: cheaply, inexpensively, without cost, easily
Example: "He learned his lesson dear, losing everything he owned."
Interjection
Definition: An exclamation used to express mild surprise, distress, sympathy, or concern.
Synonyms: Oh my!, My goodness!, Good heavens!, Alas!, Gosh!
Antonyms: (Not directly applicable as it expresses an emotion, not an opposite concept)
Example: "Oh dear! I seem to have misplaced my keys."
Examples of Use
Books:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so dear to the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters." (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice)
"My dear fellow, I have devoted my life to this task. I have given everything for this." (From a contemporary novel, specific title not provided)
Newspapers:
"The cost of living in the city has become increasingly dear for many residents, prompting calls for more affordable housing initiatives." (Financial Times)
"Local charities are asking for donations for their 'Food for our Dears' campaign to help vulnerable families." (Local Community Gazette)
Online Publications:
"Google's AI tool, AlphaFold, has made a monumental leap in predicting protein structures, a discovery that could prove dear to medical research." (Wired.com)
"Dear Abby advises a reader struggling with a difficult family dynamic." (DearAbby.com,)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: A character might exclaim, "Oh dear, I think we've taken a wrong turn!" in a comedy or drama scene. (Common trope in many films)
Television Series: "You're a dear for remembering my birthday, thank you." (Dialogue from a popular sitcom, specific title not provided)
Song Lyrics: "And if you want to know how much I miss you / Just count the stars, my dear." (From a popular romantic ballad, specific title not provided)
Podcasts: "Many small businesses found the new regulations to be quite dear to implement, impacting their bottom line significantly." (Business podcast)
Video Games: An NPC might say, "Dear adventurer, can you help me find my lost heirloom?" (Common in role-playing games)
General Public Discourse:
"My dear, how was your day?" (Common greeting between family members or close friends)
"It cost me dear to replace that broken window." (Casual conversation about an expense)
"Oh dear, I forgot my umbrella again!" (Spoken reaction to a minor inconvenience)
10 Quotes Using Dear
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." "Dear Romeo!" (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)
"The game is afoot, my dear Watson, and on this occasion it is a two-pipe problem." (Arthur Conan Doyle, The Red-Headed League)
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." (Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind)
"Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other." (Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack)
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!" (Patrick Henry, "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech)
"All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust)
"Life every man holds dear; but the dear man holds honor far more precious dear than life." (William Shakespeare, Othello)
"My dear friend, clear your mind of cant." (Samuel Johnson)
"Thank you, dear God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough." (Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home)
"Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends." (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)
Etymology
The word "dear" has a rich history, tracing its roots back to ancient Germanic languages.
Its earliest known use in Old English (before 1150 AD) was "dēore" or "dīere," and it already carried a double meaning that we still see today:
"Precious, valuable, costly, expensive." Think of something that's "dear" because it costs a lot of money or effort. This meaning suggests that when something is scarce or hard to get, its value goes up.
"Loved, beloved, regarded with affection." This is the more common meaning we associate with "dear" today, referring to someone or something we hold in high regard emotionally.
Over time, these two core meanings evolved. The idea of something being "dear" because it's expensive became less common in everyday conversation, though it still pops up in phrases like "it cost him dear." The affectionate sense, however, grew stronger.
By the Middle English period, around the 13th to 15th centuries, "dear" was commonly used as a term of endearment, like "my dear." It also became a standard polite way to start letters, like "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam," which initially conveyed respect and esteem rather than deep affection.
So, in essence, "dear" started out as a word that meant something was both valuable in terms of money and valuable in terms of affection. While the "expensive" meaning has faded somewhat, the "loved" meaning has really blossomed, and it continues to be used in various ways to express affection, respect, or even mild surprise.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Dear
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "dear":
Dear me! (or Oh dear!): An exclamation of mild surprise, dismay, or concern.
To hold dear: To value or cherish greatly.
Cost (someone) dear: To result in a heavy loss or significant negative consequence for someone.
Dear John letter: A letter from a woman to her boyfriend or husband, breaking off their relationship.
Dear heart: An affectionate term of address.
For dear life: With desperate effort, especially to avoid danger.
As dear as life: Extremely precious or vital.
To buy dear: To purchase something at a high price.
My dear man/woman/child: A polite or affectionate, sometimes slightly condescending, way to address someone.
To pay dear for (something): To suffer greatly as a consequence of something.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of dear from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
