dearly

adverb

dear·​ly ˈdir-lē How to pronounce dearly (audio)
1
: with affection : fondly
2
: heartily, earnestly
prayed so dearly for peace
3
: at a high rate or price
paid dearly for the error

Examples of dearly in a Sentence

I would dearly love to see them again. He dearly wanted to believe that it was true.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Loud And Live took over the space in 2023, picking up where dearly departed Santa’s Enchanted Forest left off (another story altogether). Miami Herald, 14 Nov. 2025 She will be dearly missed by everyone but forever remembered by her Titan family. Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2025 She will be dearly missed by everyone but forever remembered by her Titan family. Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025 He will be dearly missed but never forgotten. Jim Walsh, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dearly

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dearly was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Dearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dearly. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.

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