DEAR


Meaning of DEAR in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ dɪə(r) ]

( dearer, dearest, dears)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.

You use dear to describe someone or something that you feel affection for.

Mrs Cavendish is a dear friend of mine...

ADJ : ADJ n

2.

If something is dear to you or dear to your heart , you care deeply about it.

This is a subject very dear to the hearts of academics up and down the country.

ADJ : v-link ADJ to n

3.

You use dear in expressions such as ‘ my dear fellow ’, ‘ dear girl ’, or ‘ my dear Richard ’ when you are addressing someone whom you know and are fond of. You can also use expressions like this in a rude way to indicate that you think you are superior to the person you are addressing. ( BRIT )

Of course, Toby, my dear fellow, of course...

ADJ : ADJ n [ feelings ]

4.

Dear is written at the beginning of a letter, followed by the name or title of the person you are writing to.

Dear Peter, I have been thinking about you so much during the past few days...

ADJ : ADJ n

5.

In British English, you begin formal letters with ‘ Dear Sir ’ or ‘ Dear Madam ’. In American English, you begin them with ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’. ( WRITTEN )

‘Dear sir,’ she began.

CONVENTION

6.

You can call someone dear as a sign of affection.

You’re a lot like me, dear...

N-VOC [ feelings ]

7.

You can use dear in expressions such as ‘ oh dear ’, ‘ dear me ’, and ‘ dear, dear ’ when you are sad, disappointed, or surprised about something.

‘Oh dear, oh dear.’ McKinnon sighed. ‘You, too.’

EXCLAM [ feelings ]

8.

If you say that something is dear , you mean that it costs a lot of money, usually more than you can afford or more than you think it should cost. ( mainly BRIT INFORMAL )

CDs here are much dearer than in the States...

= expensive

≠ cheap

ADJ : usu v-link ADJ [ disapproval ]

9.

If something that someone does costs them dear , they suffer a lot as a result of it.

Such complacency is costing the company dear.

PHRASE : V inflects

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.