Dearer

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Dear \Dear\ (d[=e]r), a. [Compar. {Dearer} (d[=e]r"[~e]r);
     superl. {Dearest} (d[=e]r"[e^]st).] [OE. dere, deore, AS.
     de['o]re; akin to OS. diuri, D. duur, OHG. tiuri, G. theuer,
     teuer, Icel. d[=y]rr, Dan. & Sw. dyr. Cf. {Darling},
     {Dearth}.]
     1. Bearing a high price; high-priced; costly; expensive.


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              The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear. --Shak.
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     2. Marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price;
        as, a dear year.
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     3. Highly valued; greatly beloved; cherished; precious. "Hear
        me, dear lady." --Shak.
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              Neither count I my life dear unto myself. --Acts xx.
                                                    24.
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              And the last joy was dearer than the rest. --Pope.
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              Dear as remember'd kisses after death. --Tennyson.
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     4. Hence, close to the heart; heartfelt; present in mind;
        engaging the attention.
        (a) Of agreeable things and interests.
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                  [I'll] leave you to attend him: some dear cause
                  Will in concealment wrap me up awhile. --Shak.
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                  His dearest wish was to escape from the bustle
                  and glitter of Whitehall.         --Macaulay.
        (b) Of disagreeable things and antipathies.
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                  In our dear peril.                --Shak.
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                  Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven
                  Or ever I had seen that day.      --Shak.
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