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
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.
Recent Examples of dear
Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
By Meghan Rose What does your best 2025 look like, dear Pisces?
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2025
Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024
The ad did little good for his daughter in a deep-red state that once held the Cheney family dear but is now thoroughly in Trump’s corner.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dear
Adjective
Elsewhere, the omission of Michelle Trachtenberg from the In Memoriam segment will likely hurt the hearts of many millennials, who hold dear many of the movies from the late actress’ body of work.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
By Meghan Rose What does your best 2025 look like, dear Pisces?
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
Advertisement The ad did little good for his daughter in a deep-red state that once held the Cheney family dear but is now thoroughly in Trump’s corner.
—Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024
The ad did little good for his daughter in a deep-red state that once held the Cheney family dear but is now thoroughly in Trump’s corner.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dear
Adjective
-
The research suggests that situational awareness may emerge naturally as AI systems become more powerful and economically valuable.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Neither of those wideouts are superstars, but either would provide a valuable veteran presence.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Guardians signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year, $12-million contract as a free agent immediately after trading Naylor and the 38-year-old is beginning his third stint in his beloved Cleveland.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Gianni’s beloved baby sister was by her brother’s side from childhood.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Pink-cherry cake nails This soft-pink, mix-and-match iced mani with cherry and bow details is adorable.—
Elle Turner,
Glamour,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Alfalfa, Spanky, and the rest of the He-Man Woman Haters Club are trying to win a special car race, but Alfalfa gets distracted by the adorable Darla, leading his friends to turn their backs on him.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That’s especially important as the artificial intelligence darling and bull market leader has pulled back following back-to-back years of monster gains.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2025
-
This sequel to a 2022 indie darling casts you as a Sleeper, a robot worker fleeing their gang-boss captor.—
Lewis Gordon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The cheapest adult season ticket at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium costs £856, with the most expensive costing £2,367.—
Elias Burke,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
-
But maybe the big winners were simply the most expensive films?—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Foreman retired from the sweet science for good in 1997.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Holloway made a long stretch pass to advance the puck up ice, and Broberg made a terrific read to gallop up the ice to turn it into a two-on-one and pulled off a sweet move to his backhand to clinch the 2 points.—
Harman Dayal,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Alexander will play Monica, Reggie’s (Morgan) childhood sweetheart from Brooklyn.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025
-
In the photos, the college sweethearts posed together, with Smith Wilson wearing a gray skirt with a white crop top and Wilson donning blue jeans and a white crew neck.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
All of the losses that come with slashing NOAA’s staffing and budget will do precious little to achieve the ostensible goal of the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Gilded accents are also a great way to add a touch of this precious metal without overwhelming the space.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to dear
Cite this Entry
“Dear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dear. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share