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dear

dear

 
pronunciation:
dir
parts of speech:
adjective, noun, adverb, interjection
features:
Word Combinations (adjective, noun), Homophone Note
part of speech: adjective
inflections: dearer, dearest
definition 1: loved or precious.
She's a dear friend whom I've known for years.
synonyms:
beloved, cherished, loved, precious, treasured
similar words:
darling, favorite, intimate, old, pet, sweet
definition 2: (cap.) used as a conventional greeting that opens a letter.
"Dear Mr. Flynn," the letter began.
definition 3: expensive or excessive.
I paid a dear price for that carpet.
synonyms:
costly, expensive, high, steep
antonyms:
cheap
similar words:
excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, fancy, immoderate, valuable
definition 4: ardent; heartfelt.
It was her dearest wish that her son should make a success of the family business.
synonyms:
ardent, heartfelt
similar words:
earnest, fervent, sincere
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: noun
definition 1: a good or generous person.
Be a dear and clear the table for me.My Aunt Rose is such a dear; she remembers all my birthdays.
synonyms:
sweetheart, sweetie
similar words:
honey
definition 2: a person who is loved or thought of fondly by the person speaking (often used as an affectionate form of address).
May I help you with that, dear?My dear, you need to take a rest.
synonyms:
beloved, darling, honey, sweetheart, sweetie, truelove
similar words:
jewel
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: adverb
inflections: dearer, dearest
definition 1: dearly; affectionately.
He sat at her bedside and spoke dear to her.
synonyms:
affectionately
definition 2: at a great expense.
The house was bought quite dear.
 
part of speech: interjection
definition: used to express astonishment, dismay, or the like.
Oh, dear! What did you do next?
synonyms:
heavens, my
similar words:
darn
derivations: dearly (adv.), dearness (n.)
Homophone Note
Are you looking for the word deer (an animal)? Dear and deer sound alike but have different meanings.