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 Resource constraints: Capital, skilled labor, and credibility in supplier and customer networks are just some commodities that are either lacking or cost dearly in the early stages of a new business. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 That’s costing Commissioner Worley dearly in credibility. Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2024 The misstep could cost the Cardinal dearly for years. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 The family is hoping Haleigh will come home to her 2-year-old son, who misses her dearly. Anna Turning, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 That increase in pollution will cost both companies and their employees dearly — with hundreds of billions of dollars of pay lost annually across the workforce if unmitigated. Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 The Ravens’ bravado served them well against tough opponents all year, but that aggression spilled over in big moments Sunday and cost them dearly. Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024 Ritchson’s turn complements hers nicely, the actor letting his massive frame do the work for him as the taciturn, emotionally undemonstrative Ed who loves his children dearly and will do anything for them. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024 Donald Trump's legal woes are already costing him dearly. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dearly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near dearly

Cite this Entry

“Dearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dearly. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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