dear

Signification

Adj

1. High in price; expensive.
2. Loved; lovable.
3. Lovely; kind.
4. Loving, affectionate, heartfelt
5. Precious to or greatly valued by someone.
6. A formal way to start (possibly after my) addressing somebody at the beginning of a letter, memo etc.
7. A formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly.
8. An ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior or someone one dislikes.
9. (obsolete) Noble.

Noun

1. A very kind, loving person.
2. A beloved person.
3. An affectionate, familiar term of address, such as used between husband and wife.
4. An elderly person, especially a woman.

Verb

To endear.

Adv

Dearly; at a high price.

Intj

Indicating surprise, pity, or disapproval.

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/dɪə/

Étymologie

From Middle English dere, from Old English dīere (“of great value or excellence, expensive, beloved”), from Proto-West Germanic *diurī, from Proto-Germanic *diurijaz (“dear, precious, expensive”). Cognate with Scots dere, deir (“of great value or worth, highly valued, precious, beloved”), Saterland Frisian djuur (“precious, dear, costly, expensive”), Dutch duur (“costly, precious”), German teuer (“costly, precious”), German Low German düür, Danish dyr (“expensive”), Swedish dyr (“expensive”), Norwegian dyr (“expensive”), Icelandic dýr (“expensive”), Yiddish טייַער (tayer, “precious,expensive”).