dear

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• Received-Pronunciation: /dɪə/
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• London: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• General-American: /dɪɹ/
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• North Carolina Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Texas: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Connecticut Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Australian: /dɪə/
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• New-Zealand: /diə/
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• Scotland: /diːɹ/
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• /dɛː/ East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
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• General-South-African: /dɪə/
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• South-Africa: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• homophone: deer
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• homophone: Deere
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• homophone: dere
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• homophone: dare (cheer–chair merger)
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• rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
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• CMU ARPABET: D IH1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From Middle English dere, from Old English dēore, dīere, dīore, dȳre (“of great value or excellence, expensive, beloved”), from Proto-West Germanic *diurī, from Proto-Germanic *diurijaz (“dear, precious; expensive”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *dhegwh- (“to burn; hot, warm”). Cognates Cognate with Yola dear (“dear”), Saterland Frisian djuur (“precious, dear, costly, expensive”), Alemannic German tüür (“expensive”), Dutch dier, duur (“expensive”), German teuer (“expensive”), Vilamovian taojer, tojer (“dear”), West Flemish diere (“expensive”), Yiddish טײַער (tayer, “expensive”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish dyr (“expensive”), Faroese dýrur (“expensive”), Icelandic dýr (“expensive”), Finnish tyyris (“expensive”), Livonian tõurõz (“dear”), Northern Sami divrras (“expensive”).

From Middle English dere (“fierce, severe, hard, deadly”), from Old English dēor, dȳr (“brave, bold; severe, dire, vehement”), from Proto-Germanic *deuzaz. Cognate with the above.

English surname, related to the adjective dear and noun deer (from Old English deor (“wild animal”), used in many senses).

356 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Afrikaans: geliefde — loved; lovable
• Aklanon: mahae — loved; lovable
• Northern Altai: кыйбат (kïybat) — loved; lovable
• Southern Altai: кыймат (kïymat) — loved; lovable
• Southern Altai: сӱӱген (süügen) — loved; lovable
• Arabic: عَزِيز (ʕazīz) — loved; lovable
• Arabic: عَزِيْزَة (ʕaziyza) — loved; lovable
• Armenian: թանկագին (tʻankagin) — loved; lovable
• Armenian: սիրելի (sireli) — loved; lovable
• Assamese: মৰমৰ (moromor) — loved; lovable
• Belarusian: лю́бы (ljúby) — loved; lovable
• Belarusian: дарагі́ (darahí) — loved; lovable
• Belarusian: мі́лы (míly) — loved; lovable
• Bulgarian: любим (ljubim) — loved; lovable
• Bulgarian: мил (mil) — loved; lovable
• Bulgarian: драг (drag) — loved; lovable
• Catalan: estimat — loved; lovable
• Catalan: benvolgut — loved; lovable
• Chechen: хьоме (ḥrome) — loved; lovable
• Chechen: хьомсара (ḥromsara) — loved; lovable
• Chinese Mandarin: 親愛的 /亲爱的 (qīn'ài de) — loved; lovable
• Czech: drahý — loved; lovable
• Czech: milý — loved; lovable
• Dalmatian: cur — loved; lovable
• Dalmatian: cuora — loved; lovable
• Dalmatian: cuor — loved; lovable
• Danish: kære — loved; lovable
• Dutch: (teer)geliefd — loved; lovable
• Dutch: bemind — loved; lovable
• Dutch: lief — loved; lovable
• Dutch: beminnelijk — loved; lovable
• Dutch: kostbaar — loved; lovable
• Esperanto: kara — loved; lovable
• Esperanto: aminda — loved; lovable
• Finnish: rakas — loved; lovable
• French: cher — loved; lovable
• Friulian: cjâr — loved; lovable
• Friulian: čhâr — loved; lovable
• German: lieb — loved; lovable
• German: lieb — loved; lovable
• Gothic: 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs) — loved; lovable
• Greek: αγαπητός (agapitós) — loved; lovable
• Ancient Greek: φίλος (phílos) — loved; lovable
• Hebrew: יַקִּיר (yakír) — loved; lovable
• Hindi: प्यारा (pyārā) — loved; lovable
• Hindi: प्रिय (priya) — loved; lovable
• Hungarian: drága — loved; lovable
• Hungarian: kedves — loved; lovable
• Icelandic: kær — loved; lovable
• Ido: kara — loved; lovable
• Irish: ionúin — loved; lovable
• Irish: dil — loved; lovable
• Irish: dílis — loved; lovable
• Istriot: caro — loved; lovable
• Italian: caro — loved; lovable
• Japanese: 愛しい (itoshii) — loved; lovable
• Japanese: 恋しい (koishii) — loved; lovable
• Central Kurdish: خۆشەویست (xoşewîst) — loved; lovable
• Latin: cārus — loved; lovable
• Latvian: dārgs — loved; lovable
• Latvian: mīļš — loved; lovable
• Lithuanian: brangus — loved; lovable
• Lithuanian: mielas — loved; lovable
• Lithuanian: mylimas — loved; lovable
• Lombard: car — loved; lovable
• Macedonian: драг (drag) — loved; lovable
• Macedonian: мил (mil) — loved; lovable
• Mongolian: хайрт (xajrt) — loved; lovable
• Nepali: प्रिय (priya) — loved; lovable
• Norwegian: kjær — loved; lovable
• Occitan: car — loved; lovable
• Occitan: estimat — loved; lovable
• Old Church Slavonic: любъ (ljubŭ) — loved; lovable
• Old Church Slavonic: драгъ (dragŭ) — loved; lovable
• Old English: lēof — loved; lovable
• Old English: dīere — loved; lovable
• Pashto: ګران (grân) — loved; lovable
• Persian: گرامی (gerâmi) — loved; lovable
• Persian: عزیز ('aziz) — loved; lovable
• Persian: فری (fari) — loved; lovable
• Plautdietsch: leef — loved; lovable
• Polish: kochany — loved; lovable
• Polish: drogi — loved; lovable
• Polish: luby — loved; lovable
• Portuguese: querido — loved; lovable
• Portuguese: caro — loved; lovable
• Romanian: drag — loved; lovable
• Russian: дорого́й (dorogój) — loved; lovable
• Russian: ми́лый (mílyj) — loved; lovable
• Russian: люби́мый (ljubímyj) — loved; lovable
• Scottish Gaelic: ionmhainn — loved; lovable
• Shor: қайран (qayran) — loved; lovable
• Slovak: drahý — loved; lovable
• Slovak: milý — loved; lovable
• Slovene: drag — loved; lovable
• Lower Sorbian: luby — loved; lovable
• Spanish: querido — loved; lovable
• Spanish: caro — loved; lovable
• Sranan Tongo: lobi — loved; lovable
• Sranan Tongo: switi — loved; lovable
• Swedish: kär — loved; lovable
• Tagalog: mahal — loved; lovable
• Tocharian B: laraṣke — loved; lovable
• Tocharian B: lāre — loved; lovable
• Turkish: sevgili — loved; lovable
• Turkish: sevimli — loved; lovable
• Ottoman Turkish: عزیز (ʼazîz) — loved; lovable
• Tuvan: эргим (ergim) — loved; lovable
• Ukrainian: дороги́й (dorohýj) — loved; lovable
• Ukrainian: ми́лий (mýlyj) — loved; lovable
• Ukrainian: лю́бий (ljúbyj) — loved; lovable
• Urdu: پیارا (pyārā) — loved; lovable
• Urdu: عزیز (azīz) — loved; lovable
• Venetan: caro — loved; lovable
• Vietnamese: thân — loved; lovable
• Vietnamese: thân mến — loved; lovable
• Vietnamese: thân ái — loved; lovable
• Volapük: löfik — loved; lovable
• Walloon: binamé — loved; lovable
• Welsh: annwyl — loved; lovable
• Bulgarian: мил (mil) — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Bulgarian: драг (drag) — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Dutch: liefdevol — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Dutch: innig — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Finnish: hellä — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Finnish: sydämellinen — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Greek: αγαπητός (agapitós) — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Latvian: mīļš — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Norwegian: kjær — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Pashto: ګران (grân) — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Scottish Gaelic: ionmhainn — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Spanish: amable — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Spanish: tierno — loving, affectionate, heartfelt
• Arabic: غَالِي (ḡālī) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Arabic: غَالِيَّة (ḡāliyya) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Armenian: թանկ (tʻank) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Azerbaijani: əziz — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Bulgarian: скъп (skǎp) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Catalan: benvolgut — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Czech: drahý — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Danish: dyrebar — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Dutch: dierbaar — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Dutch: geliefd — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Dutch: gekoesterd — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Dutch: duur — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Dutch: precieus — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Dutch: waardevol — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Finnish: arvokas — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Finnish: arvoisa — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Finnish: rakas — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Finnish: tärkeä — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• French: cher — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• German: teuer — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• German: tüür — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Gothic: 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍂𐍃 (swērs) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Greek: αγαπημένος (agapiménos) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Hungarian: kedves — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Irish: ionúin — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Irish: dil — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Irish: dílis — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Central Kurdish: ئازیز (azîz) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Nepali: प्रिय (priya) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Old Church Slavonic: любъ (ljubŭ) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Old English: dīere — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Pashto: ګران (grân) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Plautdietsch: dia — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Plautdietsch: leef — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Portuguese: caro — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Romanian: scump — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Russian: дорого́й (dorogój) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Russian: це́нный (cénnyj) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Sanskrit: प्रिय (priya) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Scottish Gaelic: ionmhainn — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Slovene: drag — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Spanish: precioso — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Swedish: kär — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Ottoman Turkish: عزیز (ʼazîz) — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Welsh: annwyl — precious to or greatly valued by someone
• Afrikaans: beste — formal way of addressing
• Arabic: عَزِيز (ʕazīz) — formal way of addressing
• Arabic: عَزِيْزَة (ʕaziyza) — formal way of addressing
• Armenian: հարգելի (hargeli) — formal way of addressing
• Armenian: սիրելի (sireli) — formal way of addressing
• Armenian: մեծարգո (mecargo) — formal way of addressing
• Azerbaijani: hörmətli — formal way of addressing
• Azerbaijani: dəyərli — formal way of addressing
• Belarusian: дарагі́ (darahí) — formal way of addressing
• Belarusian: шано́ўны (šanówny) — formal way of addressing
• Belarusian: паважа́ны (pavažány) — formal way of addressing
• Bulgarian: уважа́ем (uvažáem) — formal way of addressing
• Bulgarian: драг (drag) — formal way of addressing
• Catalan: estimat — formal way of addressing
• Catalan: benvolgut — formal way of addressing
• Chinese Mandarin: 親愛的 /亲爱的 (qīn'ài de) — formal way of addressing
• Chinese Mandarin: 尊敬的 (zūnjìng de) — formal way of addressing
• Chinese Mandarin: 昂貴的 /昂贵的 (ángguì de) — formal way of addressing
• Czech: drahý — formal way of addressing
• Danish: kære — formal way of addressing
• Dutch: beste — formal way of addressing
• Dutch: geachte — formal way of addressing
• Dutch: hooggeachte — formal way of addressing
• Dutch: weledele — formal way of addressing
• Dutch: waarde — formal way of addressing
• Faroese: kærur — formal way of addressing
• Faroese: góður — formal way of addressing
• Finnish: hyvä — formal way of addressing
• Finnish: parahin — formal way of addressing
• French: cher — formal way of addressing
• German: sehr geehrter/sehr geehrte — formal way of addressing
• Greek: αγαπητέ (agapité) — formal way of addressing
• Greek: αγαπητή (agapití) — formal way of addressing
• Hindi: प्यारा (pyārā) — formal way of addressing
• Hindi: प्रिय (priya) — formal way of addressing
• Hindi: आदरणीय (ādarṇīya) — formal way of addressing
• Hungarian: kedves — formal way of addressing
• Hungarian: tisztelt — formal way of addressing
• Irish: a chara — formal way of addressing
• Irish: a chairde — formal way of addressing
• Italian: egregio — formal way of addressing
• Italian: gentile — formal way of addressing
• Japanese: 拝啓 (haikei) — formal way of addressing
• Japanese: 様 (sama) — formal way of addressing
• Khmer: ជូនចំពោះ (cuun cɑmpŭəh) — formal way of addressing
• Central Kurdish: بەڕێز (berrêz) — formal way of addressing
• Latvian: cienītais — formal way of addressing
• Lithuanian: gerbiamas — formal way of addressing
• Macedonian: мил (mil) — formal way of addressing
• Macedonian: драг (drag) — formal way of addressing
• Mongolian: эрхэм (erxem) — formal way of addressing
• Mongolian: хүндэт (xündet) — formal way of addressing
• Mongolian: эрхэм хүндэт (erxem xündet) — formal way of addressing
• Norwegian: ærede — formal way of addressing
• Pashto: ګران (grân) — formal way of addressing
• Persian: عزیز ('aziz) — formal way of addressing
• Polish: drogi — formal way of addressing
• Polish: szanowny — formal way of addressing
• Portuguese: prezado — formal way of addressing
• Portuguese: caro — formal way of addressing
• Romanian: stimate — formal way of addressing
• Russian: уважа́емый (uvažájemyj) — formal way of addressing
• Russian: дорого́й (dorogój) — formal way of addressing
• Serbo-Croatian: поштовани — formal way of addressing
• Serbo-Croatian: poštovani — formal way of addressing
• Slovak: drahý — formal way of addressing
• Slovak: vážený — formal way of addressing
• Slovene: dragi — formal way of addressing
• Spanish: estimado — formal way of addressing
• Sranan Tongo: lespeki — formal way of addressing
• Swedish: kära — formal way of addressing
• Tamil: அன்புக்குரிய (aṉpukkuriya) — formal way of addressing
• Telugu: ప్రియమైన (priyamaina) — formal way of addressing
• Turkish: sayın — formal way of addressing
• Ottoman Turkish: عزیز (ʼazîz) — formal way of addressing
• Ukrainian: дороги́й (dorohýj) — formal way of addressing
• Ukrainian: шано́вний (šanóvnyj) — formal way of addressing
• Urdu: عزیز (azīz) — formal way of addressing
• Vietnamese: kính thưa — formal way of addressing
• Vietnamese: thưa — formal way of addressing
• Walloon: binamé — formal way of addressing
• Welsh: annwyl — formal way of addressing
• Arabic: عَزِيز (ʕazīz) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Arabic: عَزِيْزَة (ʕaziyza) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Bulgarian: скъп (skǎp) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Catalan: estimat — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Chinese Mandarin: 親愛的 /亲爱的 (qīn'ài de) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Dutch: lieve — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Finnish: arvon — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Finnish: rakas — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• French: cher — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• German: lieber — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Hungarian: kedves — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Hungarian: drága — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Hungarian: édes — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Irish: a chara — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Irish: a chairde — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Italian: caro — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Japanese: へ (-e) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Norwegian: kjære — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Pashto: ګران (grân) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Portuguese: querido — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Portuguese: caro — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Romanian: dragă — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Russian: дорого́й (dorogój) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Russian: дорога́я (dorogája) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Spanish: querido — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Spanish: caro — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Spanish: estimado — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Sranan Tongo: lobi — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Tamil: அன்பே (aṉpē) — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Turkish: sevgili — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Welsh: annwyl — an informal way of addressing the recipient in a letter's opening line
• Afrikaans: beste — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Armenian: թանկագին (tʻankagin) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Armenian: սիրելի (sireli) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Catalan: estimat — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Chinese Mandarin: 親愛的 /亲爱的 (qīn'ài de) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Dutch: beste — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Dutch: lieve — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Dutch: waarde — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Finnish: hyvä — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Finnish: arvoisa — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Finnish: arvon — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Finnish: rakas — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• French: cher — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• German: Lieber — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Hindi: आदरणीय (ādarṇīya) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Hindi: प्यारा (pyārā) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Hindi: प्रिय (priya) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Hungarian: kedves — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Japanese: 親愛なる (shin'ai naru) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Central Kurdish: گیان (gyan) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Navajo: aháláaneʼ — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Pashto: ګران (grân) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Polish: drogi — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Portuguese: querido — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Russian: дорого́й (dorogój) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Russian: уважа́емый (uvažájemyj) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Slovene: dragi — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Spanish: señor mío — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Spanish: señora mía — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Spanish: estimado — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Spanish: estimada — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Thai: เรียน (riian) — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Vietnamese: thân mến — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Vietnamese: thân ái — a formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly
• Dutch: (mijn) beste — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Finnish: rakas — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Portuguese: caro — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Portuguese: cara — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: amigo mío — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: amiga mía — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: cuate — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: compadre — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: compa mío — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: maestro mío — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: majo — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Spanish: guapo — an ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior
• Bulgarian: любим (ljubim) — a very kind, loving person
• Bulgarian: възлюбен (vǎzljuben) — a very kind, loving person
• Dutch: lieverd — a very kind, loving person
• Dutch: schat — a very kind, loving person
• Finnish: kullannuppu — a very kind, loving person
• German: Liebchen — a very kind, loving person
• German: Liebste — a very kind, loving person
• German: Liebster — a very kind, loving person
• German: Teuerste — a very kind, loving person
• German: Teuerster — a very kind, loving person
• Hungarian: tünemény — a very kind, loving person
• Russian: ду́шка (dúška) — a very kind, loving person
• Serbo-Croatian: драги — a very kind, loving person
• Serbo-Croatian: драга — a very kind, loving person
• Serbo-Croatian: мила — a very kind, loving person
• Serbo-Croatian: dragi — a very kind, loving person
• Serbo-Croatian: draga — a very kind, loving person
• Serbo-Croatian: mila — a very kind, loving person
• Ukrainian: коха́ний (koxányj) — a very kind, loving person