dear meaning

UK /dɪə/ US /dɪr/ 1 syllable

dear (adjective): dearly loved.

dear has 8 meanings in this dictionary, as adjective, noun and adverb.

dear as an adjective

  1. dearly loved

    Synonyms: beloved, darling

    Similar: loved

  2. with or in a close or intimate relationship
    • a good friend
    • my sisters and brothers are near and dear

    Synonyms: good, near

    Similar: close

  3. sincerely earnest
    • one's dearest wish
    • devout wishes for their success
    • heartfelt condolences

    Synonyms: devout, earnest, heartfelt

    Similar: sincere

  4. having a high price
    • costly jewelry
    • high-priced merchandise
    • much too dear for my pocketbook
    • a pricey restaurant

    Synonyms: costly, high-priced, pricey, pricy

    Similar: expensive

    Related forms: dearness

dear as a noun

  1. a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

    Synonyms: beloved, dearest, honey, love

    Type of: lover

  2. a sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child)

    Synonyms: lamb

    Type of: innocent

dear as an adverb

  1. at a great cost
    • he paid dearly for the food
    • this cost him dear

    Synonyms: dearly

  2. with affection
    • she loved him dearly
    • he treats her affectionately

    Synonyms: dearly, affectionately

How to pronounce dear

dear is pronounced /dɪə/ in British English and /dɪr/ in American English. It has 1 syllable.

Words that rhyme with dear

Scrabble score: 5 (letter breakdown)

Word lists: words starting with DE · words ending in AR · 4-letter words

More about dear on Wikipedia.