From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdeardear1 /dɪə $ dɪr/ ●●● S1 interjection → Oh dear!/Dear oh dear!deardear2 ●●● W1 adjective (comparative dearer, superlative dearest) 1 → Dear2 British EnglishEXPENSIVE expensive OPP cheap Cars are 59% dearer in Britain than in Europe.► see thesaurus at expensive3 formalLOVE a dear friend or relative is very important to you and you love them a lot Mark became a dear friend.be dear to somebody His sister was very dear to him.4 → hold something dear5 → dear old ...6 → for dear life7 → the dear departed
Examples from the Corpus
dear• No, you can't have an ice-cream - they're too dear.• Those strawberries look a bit dear.• No family, he knew, had not suffered the bereavement or tragic maiming of some one near and dear.• Now Lizzy had taken all that her grandmother held dear and dragged it through the dirt.• Congratulations to you my dear brother on all your fine accomplishments in school.• The blue jacket is slightly dearer, but it's much better material.• Please pray for me in this, my dearest Cynthia.• Mark had become a dear friend.• Nina had had everything in the palm of her hand and now she had given Joe back to his dear little wife.• That's a hundred more than dear old David Beckham gets from his Ferrari 550.• The pity is that you married this lady, dear sir.• That was how she felt - as though those dear supporting figures of her childhood were once again hovering over her.dear friend• He ... he only sees me as a ... a dear friend.• But if the while I think of thee, dear friend All losses are restored and sorrows end.• My dear friend, I beg you to let us go ahead with our plan.• By her patience and charity she eventually overcame opposition and became the advisor and dearest friend of the whole household.• Here a dear friend struck dead by a ball through the head or heart!• He was a dear friend to many and will be greatly and sadly missed.• A few days later Modigliani set him straight: My dear Friend, You're a fathead who doesn't understand a joke.DearDearused before someone’s name or title to begin a letter Dear Sir or Madam, ... Dear Mrs. Wilson, ... Dear Meg, ... → dearExamples from the Corpus
Dear• Dear Dr. Ward:..• Dear Sally, ..deardear3 ●●○ S3 noun [countable] 1 TALK TO somebodyLOVEused when speaking to someone you love How did the interview go, dear?2 TALK TO somebodyNOT KNOW spoken used when speaking in a friendly way to someone, especially someone who is much younger or much older than you. This use can sometimes sound rather patronizing Can I help you, dear? Come along, my dear, take a seat.3 NICE British English spoken someone who is kind and helpful Be a dear and make me a coffee.4 → old dearExamples from the Corpus
dear• Make me some cheese on toast, there's a dear.• Oh, Charles dear, this is an honour you so richly deserve.• Make up your mind to please your lord, my dear.• You've not hurt your head, have you, my dear?• My dear, I don't in the least want to hurry you but I think you should go.• What's your name, dear?• We were having tea at the same hotel when Mrs Harvey came in, with another old dear.• They were two old dears and good fun, but this one... well!• Sophie dear, you do manage to look so very striking with so little in the way of decoration!my dear• Anabelle, my dear, you must try some.• Will you try a little porridge with some honey, Dorothy, my dear?• I also say goodnight, my dearest love.• Will you forgive me, my dear Cully.• I know I should not allow one of my dearest friends to discover so late on of my romantic attachment ...• No cheat, I assure you, my dear Doctor.• I'd swing for you, my dear.• But to you, my dear, it will simply be a small cylinder of Balbazian steel, that wonderfully unbreachable metal.deardear4 adverb → cost somebody dearFrom Longman Business Dictionarydeardear /dɪədɪr/ adjective1especially British English costing a lot of moneySYNEXPENSIVEI could never afford a house around here - they’re far too dear.2FINANCEBANKING if money is dear, INTEREST RATEs are high and it may be difficult and expensive to get loans from banksAt the time, money was dear and credit difficult.Origin dear3 Old English deore 