1
as in valuable
commanding a large price
caviar has always been among the dearest of foods
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beloved
granted special treatment or attention
spared no expense when caring for and feeding her dear little dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adorable
having qualities that tend to make one loved
a dear friend that I would do anything for
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in darling
a person with whom one is in love
I love you, dear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dear
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Uncle William had been nearly as dear to me as my father, all my life.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2024
Somehow the ethereal little dears were inapprehensible without words.
—Tom Wolfe, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dear
Adjective
Mark Mardini became a dear friend.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Uncle William had been nearly as dear to me as my father, all my life.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
At a recent event raising money for the Men Wear Pink campaign and for the Cincinnati Friars Club, another charity dear to Altenau's heart, the ambassadors climbed on stage and sang her a song.
—Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2024
Somehow the ethereal little dears were inapprehensible without words.
—Tom Wolfe, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dear
Adjective
-
What starts as play today could become a genuinely valuable opportunity later.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Celebrini on Friday was not among the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, given annually to the NHL player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Or that Salieri once masturbated over his beloved piano in an unfruitful attempt to cure his writer’s block.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
-
Even so, the coincidence feels like an anointing, long overdue for someone who has spent decades in just about every beloved franchise, quietly establishing himself as the most important—or at least prolific—person in genre entertainment.—
James Grebey,
Time,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The casting featured a deep roster of models, from elders to adorable kids, many the children of staffers.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
-
Hop on over to neighboring Mad Martha’s for ice cream, Murdick’s for fudge, and the adorable Edgartown Books for beach reads.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
This darling wooden fence is perfect for small spaces.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Anthropic is emerging as another major market darling, particularly among institutional investors.—
Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Might want to take a peek at the weather in Cancun, too, though trip prices this time of year might be expensive given the Sixers just bought the latest outgoing flight.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
Merge Pilates is still lit — bodies folded into expensive discomfort behind glass.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a family loses a loved one, the team fills the box with fingerprints, hair locks and heartbeat strips.—
Laura Berrios,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
Skeletal remains are air-dried, processed and returned to loved ones as powder in an urn or shaped as stones.—
Dorany Pineda,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Izaiah is sweet, funny, and incredibly thoughtful, often bringing a positive and lighthearted energy to the people around him.—
MARE Staff,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
This sort of attention to dessert is otherwise increasingly rare; too many ambitious kitchens pour all their resources into their savory menus and then punt on the sweet courses, serving a scoop of gelato in a fancy coupe, or a slice of cake assembled off-site.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Dolly Parton is a living doll, a sweetheart.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
-
The Mooneys were high school sweethearts and have been married for 62 years.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dear. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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