William Shakespeare
Synonyms
Examples of dear in a Sentence
Griselda Flores, Billboard, 29 July 2023
There was also a giant model of Iron Man, a Marvel superhero dear to Dr. Howard.
—Noreen Malone, New York Times, 1 June 2023
Such are the changes in language and culture over time, a subject dear to the pen of Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada, Reno.
—Dave Shiflett, wsj.com, 11 May 2023
Barbie will also donate $25,000 to Asian American LEAD, a nonprofit dear to Wong that serves low-income and underserved Asian Pacific American youth.
—Christopher Brito, CBS News, 1 May 2023
See you tomorrow, my dear.
—Marion Renault, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2022
Dont go there, my dear, said John.
—New York Times, 14 Oct. 2022
Primer Potion, my dear.
—Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 13 Aug. 2022
My dear!
—Vladimir Sorokin, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022
Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023
Sign up for our California Politics newsletter to get the best of The Times’ state politics reporting and to follow me on Instagram for the latest updates of my dear fur child, Kacey.
—Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
Manet made no such attempts, choosing instead to subvert the rules that the 19th-century establishment held dear.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2023
To my dear friends, cherished family, and maybe even future friends—consider the bouquet tossed.
—Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2023
The two have worked together on some of her most memorable looks, among them when Hall hosted the Oscars red carpet in 2020, and her first red carpet after her dear friend Prince’s death.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2023
Look on these pages, dear reader, and see what Chicago has going on for you!
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
Who was in the cast, other than Duff? Francia Raisa (Grown-ish) played Sophie's roommate, Valentina, a dear friend and stylist who's recently returned to New York from London Fashion Week, toting a new British boyfriend named Charlie.
—Hilary Weaver, ELLE, 2 Sep. 2023
That same day, another dear friend excitedly asked what’s next on our IVF agenda.
—Maressa Brown, Parents, 31 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Adjective (1), Adverb, Noun, and Interjection
Middle English dere, from Old English dēore; akin to Old High German tiuri distinguished, costly
Adjective (2)
Middle English dere, from Old English dēor — see dear entry 1
Adjective (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Interjection
1694, in the meaning defined above
Adjective (2)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing dear
Articles Related to dear
Dictionary Entries Near dear
Cite this Entry
“Dear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dear. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on dear
Nglish: Translation of dear for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dear for Arabic Speakers
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