dear´ness

dear´ness: dear¹ «dihr», adjective, noun, adverb, interjection.

–adj.

1. much loved; precious: »His sister was very dear to him. This is an old story but somehow each time more dear (Atlantic).
SYNONYM(S): beloved.

2. much valued; highly esteemed. Dear is used as a form of polite address at the beginning of letters: »Dear Sir.

3. Figurative. costing much; high in price: »Fresh strawberries are dear in winter.
SYNONYM(S): costly, high-priced. See syn. under expensive. (Cf. ↑expensive)

4. charging high prices; high: »That grocer is very dear.

5. Obsolete. heartfelt; earnest.

6. Obsolete. worthy; honorable.

–n.

1. a dear one; a darling: »“Come, my dear,” said her mother.

2. a very attractive or engaging person: »The distinguished actress…is a dear and a doll in the leading role (Bosley Crowther).

–adv.

1. with affection; fondly: »The old lady held dear the memories of her childhood.

2. Figurative. at a high price; much; very much: »That mistake will cost you dear. “Buy cheap, sell dear” was his motto.

–interj.

an exclamation of surprise, trouble, regret, etc.: »Oh dear! I lost my pencil. Dear me, I'm late again!

╂[Old English dēore. Compare etym. under darling. (Cf. ↑darling)]

–dear´ness, noun.

dear² «dihr», adjective.

Archaic. hard; severe; grievous; dire: »... in our dear peril (Shakespeare).
Also, dere.

╂[Old English dēor]

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dear — dear·born; dear·ly; dear·ness; en·dear; en·dear·ment; un·dear; dear; dear·ie; en·dear·ing·ly; en·dear·ing·ness; … English syllables
dear — I [[t]dɪər[/t]] adj., er, est, n. adv. interj. 1) beloved; loved 2) (used in the salutation of a letter as an expression of affection or respect or as a conventional greeting): Dear Sir or Madam[/ex] 3) cherished: our dearest possessions[/ex] 4)… … From formal English to slang
ness — ness·ber·ry; ness·ler·iza·tion; ness·ler·ize; ness·ler s; new·fan·gled·ness; new·ness; news·i·ness; nice·ness; nig·gard·li·ness; nig·gard·ness; nigh·ness; nip·pi·ness; no·ble·ness; nois·i·ness; non·cha·lant·ness; north·er·li·ness; north·ness;… … English syllables
ex|pen´sive|ness — ex|pen|sive «ehk SPEHN sihv», adjective. costly; dear; highpriced: »He wore an expensive necktie which cost $10. Women are such expensive things (George Meredith). –ex|pen´sive|ly, adverb. –ex|pen´sive|ness, noun. Synonym Study Expensive … Useful english dictionary
dar´ling|ness — dar|ling «DAHR lihng», noun, adjective. –n. 1. a person or animal very dear to another; person or animal much loved: »The baby is the family darling. 2. a favorite: »My sister is my mother s darling.Figurative. Trade, that pride and darling of… … Useful english dictionary
cost´li|ness — cost|ly «KST lee, KOST », adjective, li|er, li|est. 1. of great value: »The queen had costly jewels. SYNONYM(S): precious, valuable, sumptuous, rich. 2. costing much: »Figurative. He made a costly mistake and … Useful english dictionary
cun´ning|ness — cun|ning «KUHN ihng», adjective, noun. –adj. 1. clever in deceiving; sly: »a cunning fox. The cunning thief outwitted the police and got away. SYNONYM(S): crafty, artful, guileful. See syn. under sly. (Cf. ↑sly) 2. made, showing, or done with… … Useful english dictionary
cute´ness — cute «kyoot», adjective, cut|er, cut|est. Informal. 1. pretty and dear; pleasing or attractive; winsome; dainty: »a cute baby. SYNONYM(S): char … Useful english dictionary
des´o|late|ness — des|o|late «adjective. DEHS uh liht; verb. DEHS uh layt», adjective, verb, lat|ed, lat|ing. –adj. 1. not producing anything; laid waste; devastated; barren: »desolate land. SYNONYM(S) … Useful english dictionary
pre´cious|ness — pre|cious «PREHSH uhs», adjective, adverb. –adj. 1. having great value; worth much; valuable; of great importance. Gold, silver, and platinum are often called the precious metals. »They were folk to whom sleep was precious (John Galsworthy).… … Useful english dictionary

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dear´ness

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