Meaning & use
dearly
Last updated
With great affection, or at a high cost.
See it in a sentence
She loved her grandmother dearly.
He paid dearly for his mistake, losing both his job and his reputation.
A note on using this word
This word carries two quite different senses—affection and cost—both stemming from the older meaning of 'dear' as 'precious' or 'costly.'
Words with a similar meaning
fondlygreatly
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adverb
At great cost or with severe consequences.
The company paid dearly for ignoring the warning signs.
Make it your own
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