Nearby Words
adjective
1.
beloved or loved: a dear friend.
2.
(used in the salutation of a letter as an expression of affection or respect or as a conventional greeting): Dear Sir.
3.
precious in one's regard; cherished: our dearest possessions.
4.
heartfelt; earnest: one's dearest wish.
5.
EXPANDhigh-priced; expensive: The silk dress was too dear.
6.
charging high prices: That shop is too dear for my budget.
7.
excessive; high: a dear price to pay for one's independence.
8.
Obsolete. difficult to get; scarce.
9.
COLLAPSEObsolete. worthy; honorable.
noun
10.
a person who is good, kind, or generous: You're a dear to help me with the work.
11.
a beloved one.
12.
(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address (sometimes offensive when used to a stranger, subordinate, etc.)
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Dearest
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
adverb
13.
dearly; fondly.
14.
at a high price: That painting cost me dear.
interjection
15.
(used as an exclamation of surprise, distress, etc.): Oh dear, what a disappointment! Dear me! What's all that noise?
Origin:
before 900; Middle English dere, Old English dēore; cognate with Old High German tiuri, Old Norse dȳrr
before 900; Middle English dere, Old English dēore; cognate with Old High German tiuri, Old Norse dȳrr
Related forms
dear·ly, adverb
dear·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
adjective, -er, -est. Archaic.
hard; grievous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To dearest
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
dear
O.E. deore "precious, valuable, costly, loved," from W.Gmc. *deurjaz, ultimate origin unknown. Used interjectorily since 1690s. As an introductory word to letters, it is attested from mid-15c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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