dear

Definitions

1. 1.Marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price; as, a dear year.
2. 2.Highly valued; greatly beloved; cherished; precious. "Hear me, dear lady." Shak. Neither count I my life dear unto myself. Acts xx.
3. 3.And the last joy was dearer than the rest. Pope. Dear as remember'd kisses after death. Tennyson.
4. 4.Hence, close to the heart; heartfelt; present in mind; engaging the attention. (a) Of agreeable things and interests. [I'll] leave you to attend him: some dear cause Will in concealment wrap me up awhile. Shak. His dearest wish was to escape from the bustle and glitter of Whitehall. Macaulay. (b) Of disagreeable things and antipathies. In our dear peril. Shak. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever I had seen that day. Shak.
5. 5.A dear one; lover; sweetheart. That kiss I carried from thee, dear. Shak.
6. 6.Dearly; at a high price. If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear. Shak.
7. 7.To endear. [Obs.] Shelton.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "dear" mean?
• What is another word for "dear"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is dear.

• What is marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price; as, a dear year called?
• What is highly valued; greatly beloved; cherished; precious. "Hear me, dear lady." Shak. Neither count I my life dear unto myself. Acts xx called?
• What is and the last joy was dearer than the rest. Pope. Dear as remember'd kisses after death. Tennyson called?
• What is a dear one; lover; sweetheart. That kiss I carried from thee, dear. Shak called?
• What is dearly; at a high price. If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear. Shak called?