1
: highly valued : precious
a dear friend
Our friendship is very dear to me.
ran for dear life
—often used in a salutationdear Sir
2
: affectionate, fond
3
: high or exorbitant in price : expensive
eggs are very dear just now
4
: heartfelt
our dearest prayers
5
obsolete
: noble
dearness
noun
1
: dearly sense 3
the effort cost them dear
2
: dearly sense 1
so dear I loved the man—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare1
: a loved one : sweetheart
How was your day, dear?
2
: a lovable person
Be a dear and get me a drink.
—used especially to express annoyance or dismay
Oh dear!
Examples of dear in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
caviar has always been among the dearest of foods
spared no expense when caring for and feeding her dear little dog
a dear friend that I would do anything for
Noun
Be a dear and take this for me.
Recent Examples on the Web
Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Oh, and also Brian Klugman, the director is a dear friend of my manager.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 July 2025
Black bag, my dear — her work trip sets off a chain reaction in which George’s strength, i.e., faith in their relationship, becomes his weakness.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dear
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Adjective
The world of cinema so dear to Garavani started to approach the designer.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Oh, and also Brian Klugman, the director is a dear friend of my manager.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
Frankly, my dear, Tom Jacobsen doesn’t give a dome.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 July 2025
Black bag, my dear — her work trip sets off a chain reaction in which George’s strength, i.e., faith in their relationship, becomes his weakness.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dear
Cite this Entry
“Dear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dear. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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