dearly

adverb

dear·​ly ˈdir-lē How to pronounce dearly (audio)
1
: with affection : fondly
2
: heartily, earnestly
prayed so dearly for peace
3
: at a high rate or price
paid dearly for the error

Examples of dearly in a Sentence

I would dearly love to see them again. He dearly wanted to believe that it was true.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Humans have many relationships that dearly matter to them. Meredith Wolf Schizer, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025 He will be dearly remembered for his love of his family. Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 The genre comes in both STEM and humanities varieties; the former has stuff like The Number 23 or Pi, while the latter gets into the territory of The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, and our dearly departed The Lost Symbol. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025 But Biden's mistakes cost him, and his country, dearly. Douglas Brinkley, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dearly

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dearly was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Dearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dearly. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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