dear

Meaning

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.

Concepts

dear

beloved

darling

expensive

precious

costly

sweetheart

valuable

loved

desired

high-priced

love

favourite

cherished

sweetie

lovely

pricey

intimate

honey

dearest

dearly

esteemed

liked

good

close

sweet

kind

nice

adorable

pet

boyfriend

girlfriend

lover

one’s beloved

fond

respected

welcome

affectionately

heartfelt

lamb

affectionate

babe

baby

loved one

missed

high

favorite

loving

wished for

near

pricy

devout

earnest

honourable

valued

my dear

dearie

important

dear one

cute

blessed

bad

unfortunate

minion

sweet mother

Good gracious

dear me

you

adoring one

exorbitant

lavish

overpriced

steep

preferred

much-esteemed

lifelong

best

buxom

cordial

hearty

tender

wished

agreeable

dear to the heart

dearly beloved

highly-priced

charming

mistress

over-priced

poppet

difficult

excellent

rare

needed

required

wanted

wished-for

high in cost

oh

of great value

of high value

scarce

fondest

of great price

miss

faithful

loyal

fondly

lovingly

tenderly

fine

great

magna cum laude

neat

shrewd

sound

well

big-ticket

high-ticket

rich

upscale

macushla

deary

gold

crumb

mite

morsel

scrap

truelove

adored

ladylove

big

essential

major

momentous

necessary

substantial

substantive

vital

weighty

term of endearment

pleasant

lief

handsome

revered

connected

my darling

loveful

invaluable

distinguished

prized

endearing

pretty

wife

devotion

affection

antelope

in possession of

worthy

endearment

expensiveness

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɪə/

Etymology

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”).