dear:
(plural: ‘dear’ or, rarely, ‘dears‘)
Dear little girl
a kind, soft-natured or smart person who is loved or whom another person likes to love or likes to be friendly;
a darling;
a term used for addressing (calling) someone one likes,
(Bye, dear!)
My aunt is a dear.
The new doctor at our clinic is a sweet dear; she never says no to any emergency call… day or night, and talks to the patients so nicely that they are relieved part of their pain right away!
Why are you crying, my dear?
two dear friends
And ‘dear’ is more commonly used in its adjective form, usually to address someone with close relationship, and also in public speeches and in letters as a form of opening salutation written to someone who is not necessarily close, e.g. “Dear ladies and gentlemen!”, “My dear friends…”, (in a letter) “Dear Martha,”, “Dear Sir,”, etc.
‘Dear’ is also used to mean ‘very expensive’ or ‘very rare’ or ‘very important’, e.g. “Fuel and water are dear these days.” & “Her memories are dear to him.” In addition, ‘dear’ is also used to express mild exclamations and, less commonly, annoyance, e.g. “Oh, dear, you’ve won the match!” & “Oh dear! You’ve messed up the bed again!” & “Dear me, what a horrible accident!”
About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.
