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