dear
noun
- person loved by a given individual, such as a family member or partner
adverb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L333570 on Wikidata ↗interjection
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L334127 on Wikidata ↗adjective
- beloved
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /dɪə/ / /dɪɹ/ / /diə/
adj
Etymology: From Middle English dere (“fierce, severe, hard, deadly”), from Old English dēor, dȳr (“brave, bold; severe, dire, vehement”), from Proto-Germanic *deuzaz. Cognate with the above.
- Severe, or severely affected; sore.
- Fierce.
“The Christens found the heathens dear, as the lion doth the bear.”
adv
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 (“expensive”), German teuer (“expensive”), German Low German düür, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish dyr (“expensive”), Faroese dýrur (“expensive”), Icelandic dýr (“expensive”), Yiddish טייַער (tayer, “precious, expensive”).
- Dearly; at a high price.
“If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear.”
intj
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 (“expensive”), German teuer (“expensive”), German Low German düür, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish dyr (“expensive”), Faroese dýrur (“expensive”), Icelandic dýr (“expensive”), Yiddish טייַער (tayer, “precious, expensive”).
- Indicating surprise, pity, or disapproval.
“Dear, dear! Whatever were they thinking?”
name
Etymology: English surname, related to the adjective dear and noun deer (from Old English deor (“wild animal”), used in many senses).
- A surname.
noun
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 (“expensive”), German teuer (“expensive”), German Low German düür, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish dyr (“expensive”), Faroese dýrur (“expensive”), Icelandic dýr (“expensive”), Yiddish טייַער (tayer, “precious, expensive”).
- A very kind, loving person.
“My little cousin is such a dear, always drawing me pictures.”
- A beloved person.
- An affectionate, familiar term of address, such as used between husband and wife.
“Pass me the salt, would you dear?”
- An elderly person, especially a woman.
verb
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 (“expensive”), German teuer (“expensive”), German Low German düür, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish dyr (“expensive”), Faroese dýrur (“expensive”), Icelandic dýr (“expensive”), Yiddish טייַער (tayer, “precious, expensive”).
- To endear.
“Nor should a Sonne his Sire loue for reward, But for he is his Sire, in nature dear’d.”
“I should have known no less: It hath been taught us from the primal state That he which is was wished until he were; And the ebbed man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth love, Comes deared by being lacked.”