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.
With 72% of employees avoiding conflict, missed opportunities cost organizations dearly—but teams leveraging the simplest collaboration tools can more easily foster courageous communication and experience a 79% boost in transparency and effectiveness. Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 Turnovers cost UConn dearly in regular-season losses to No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 20 Tennessee, and the NCAA Tournament leaves little room for error. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025 Their creators didn’t want the dearly departed to carry their funk into the afterlife. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2025 Costing taxpayers dearly Additionally, the financial burden of these laws is significant. John Leverso, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dearly. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dearly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!