1
as in valuable
commanding a large price
caviar has always been among the dearest of foods
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beloved
granted special treatment or attention
spared no expense when caring for and feeding her dear little dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adorable
having qualities that tend to make one loved
a dear friend that I would do anything for
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in darling
a person with whom one is in love
I love you, dear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dear
David S. Kravet, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026
My dear friend’s calico, Poppy, has developed a growth above her paw.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2024
Somehow the ethereal little dears were inapprehensible without words.
—Tom Wolfe, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dear
Adjective
Much to my surprise and consternation, my dear Adlai Stevenson was not declared the winner.
—David S. Kravet, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026
My dear friend’s calico, Poppy, has developed a growth above her paw.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
At a recent event raising money for the Men Wear Pink campaign and for the Cincinnati Friars Club, another charity dear to Altenau's heart, the ambassadors climbed on stage and sang her a song.
—Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2024
Somehow the ethereal little dears were inapprehensible without words.
—Tom Wolfe, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dear
Adjective
-
While rainfall runs off quickly and can more readily evaporate from soil, snowpack serves as a valuable and lasting source of moisture and accounts for a majority of water supplies across the region, as much as 80 percent in some areas.—
Mira Rojanasakul,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
This pattern encodes valuable information.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
We’d e-mailed her friends; her beloved younger brother had come from New Hampshire.—
Amanda Peet,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
-
One of the brand’s most beloved products, the Glow Serum, shows exactly what the brand does best.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Read about the first-grade class that, in 1982, took a trip to tap a sugar maple, boil the sap, and share some adorable moments.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Bolstered by fuzzy electric guitars, the song also provides the perfect moment for TWS to show off their aegyo — a quintessentially South Korean gesture of acting adorable that doesn’t always translate well overseas.—
Jae-Ha Kim,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just this week tech darling Nvidia unveiled a new platform aimed at bringing AI computing into orbit.—
Tessa McCann,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2026
-
But for the most part, Knight hesitated to kill his darlings.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This will overcome the main challenge of firing expensive missile interceptors to knock out these threats; the economics don’t add up.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The newest residents of some of the city’s most expensive real estate pitched their shelters in the shadow of the port where, in 2020, a massive blast rocked most of Beirut, killing hundreds and destroying a chunk of the capital.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But for the loved ones of the three still missing, an agonizing wait continues.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
-
At that same company, a hospice social worker wrote about a family's grief when their loved one passed, but there was no evidence the patient was actually dead.—
Adam Yamaguchi,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the hands of a sandwich master, these things can come from elsewhere—in the Vegitalian, thin slabs of fresh mozzarella and, of all things, a thick layer of roasted sweet-potato slices.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Relax by the grand fireplace overlooking the mountainside as you’re delivered triers of sweet pastries and chocolate treats, savory salmon toasts, lobster rolls, and more while Artisanal high chocolate is poured over fluffy cotton candy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Following Nicholas Brendon‘s death at age 54, Charisma Carpenter is paying tribute to her onscreen high school sweetheart.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Down on the lower levels, cowboys and their sweethearts were up and out of their seats, like a late-night set at the Firehouse.—
Joey Guerra,
Houston Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dear. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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