dear

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++dear1 /dɪə $ dɪr/ ●●● S1 interjection  Oh dear!/Dear oh dear!  (also Dear me! old-fashioned) used to show that you are surprised, upset, or annoyed because something bad has happened 天哪，天啊〔用来表示惊讶、不安或恼怒，因为发生了糟糕的事〕 Oh dear, I’ve broken the lamp. 天啊，我把灯打碎了。 ‘I think I’m getting a cold.’ ‘Dear oh dear!’ “我觉得我要感冒了。” “哦，天哪！”dear2 ●●● W1 adjective (comparative dearer, superlative dearest)  n1. → Dear2  British EnglishEXPENSIVE expensive 贵的，昂贵的 OPP cheap Cars are 59% dearer in Britain than in Europe. 汽车在英国比在欧洲大陆要贵出59%。► see thesaurus at expensive3  formalLOVE a dear friend or relative is very important to you and you love them a lot 〔朋友或亲人〕亲爱的，钟爱的 Mark became a dear friend. 马克已成为一个亲密的朋友。be dear to somebody His sister was very dear to him. 他的妹妹是他的心肝宝贝。4  hold something dear to think that something is very important 珍视某物 Household economy was something my mother held very dear. 我母亲非常重视家庭经济。5  dear old ... British English spoken used to describe someone or something in a way that shows your love or liking of them 亲爱的…，可爱的…〔表示亲昵或喜爱〕 SYN good old Here we are, back in dear old Manchester! 我们到了，又回到可爱的曼彻斯特了！6  for dear life writtenVERY if you run, fight, hold on etc for dear life, you do it as fast or as well as you can because you are afraid 〔因为恐惧〕拼命地 She grasped the side of the boat and hung on for dear life. 她抓住船帮，死不松手。7. the dear departed British English literary a person you love who has died 逝去的亲人；亡故的好友

Examples from the Corpus

dear• No, you can't have an ice-cream - they're too dear.• Those strawberries look a bit dear.• No family, he knew, had not suffered the bereavement or tragic maiming of some one near and dear.• Now Lizzy had taken all that her grandmother held dear and dragged it through the dirt.• Congratulations to you my dear brother on all your fine accomplishments in school.• The blue jacket is slightly dearer, but it's much better material.• Please pray for me in this, my dearest Cynthia.• Mark had become a dear friend.• Nina had had everything in the palm of her hand and now she had given Joe back to his dear little wife.• That's a hundred more than dear old David Beckham gets from his Ferrari 550.• The pity is that you married this lady, dear sir.• That was how she felt - as though those dear supporting figures of her childhood were once again hovering over her.dear friend• He ... he only sees me as a ... a dear friend.• But if the while I think of thee, dear friend All losses are restored and sorrows end.• My dear friend, I beg you to let us go ahead with our plan.• By her patience and charity she eventually overcame opposition and became the advisor and dearest friend of the whole household.• Here a dear friend struck dead by a ball through the head or heart!• He was a dear friend to many and will be greatly and sadly missed.• A few days later Modigliani set him straight: My dear Friend, You're a fathead who doesn't understand a joke.nDearused before someone’s name or title to begin a letter 尊敬的，亲爱的〔用在信函开头某人姓名或头衔前面〕 Dear Sir or Madam, ... 尊敬的先生或女士，… Dear Mrs. Wilson, ... 尊敬的威尔逊夫人，… Dear Meg, ... 亲爱的梅格，… → dear

Examples from the Corpus

Dear• Dear Dr. Ward:..• Dear Sally, ..dear3 ●●○ S3 noun [countable]  1  TALK TO somebodyLOVEused when speaking to someone you love 亲爱的〔用于对所爱的人说话〕 How did the interview go, dear? 面试怎么样，亲爱的？2  TALK TO somebodyNOT KNOW spoken used when speaking in a friendly way to someone, especially someone who is much younger or much older than you. This use can sometimes sound rather patronizing 亲爱的，乖乖〔尤用于对比自己年轻或年长许多的人说话，有时听上去有居高临下的味道〕 Can I help you, dear? 亲爱的，我能为你做什么吗？ Come along, my dear, take a seat. 来吧，亲爱的，坐下吧。3  NICE British English spoken someone who is kind and helpful 好人，可爱的人 Be a dear and make me a coffee. 做个好人给我弄杯咖啡吧。4. old dear British EnglishOLD/NOT NEW a fairly rude expression meaning an old woman 老太婆〔相当无礼的说法〕

Examples from the Corpus

dear• Make me some cheese on toast, there's a dear.• Oh, Charles dear, this is an honour you so richly deserve.• Make up your mind to please your lord, my dear.• You've not hurt your head, have you, my dear?• My dear, I don't in the least want to hurry you but I think you should go.• What's your name, dear?• We were having tea at the same hotel when Mrs Harvey came in, with another old dear.• They were two old dears and good fun, but this one... well!• Sophie dear, you do manage to look so very striking with so little in the way of decoration!my dear• Anabelle, my dear, you must try some.• Will you try a little porridge with some honey, Dorothy, my dear?• I also say goodnight, my dearest love.• Will you forgive me, my dear Cully.• I know I should not allow one of my dearest friends to discover so late on of my romantic attachment ...• No cheat, I assure you, my dear Doctor.• I'd swing for you, my dear.• But to you, my dear, it will simply be a small cylinder of Balbazian steel, that wonderfully unbreachable metal.dear4 adverb  cost somebody dear written to cause a lot of trouble and suffering for someone 使某人损失惨重；给某人带来许多麻烦和痛苦 Carolyn’s marriage to Pete cost her dear. 与彼得的婚姻使卡罗琳痛苦不堪。From Longman Business Dictionarydeardear /dɪədɪr/ adjective1especially British English costing a lot of moneySYN EXPENSIVEI could never afford a house around here - they’re far too dear.2FINANCEBANKING if money is dear, INTEREST RATEs are high and it may be difficult and expensive to get loans from banksAt the time, money was dear and credit difficult.Origin dear3 Old English deore

dear1 interjectiondear2 adjectiveDeardear3 noundear4 adverbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

you Corpus to show that Business are used

dear

I

dear¹ S1 /dɪə $ dɪr/ interjection
Oh dear!/Dear oh dear! (also Dear me! old-fashioned) used to show that you are surprised, upset, or annoyed because something bad has happened:
    Oh dear, I’ve broken the lamp.
    ‘I think I’m getting a cold.’ ‘Dear oh dear!’

II

dear² S2 noun [countable]
1. used when speaking to someone you love:
    How did the interview go, dear?
2. spoken used when speaking in a friendly way to someone, especially someone who is much younger or much older than you. This use can sometimes sound rather patronizing:
    Can I help you, dear?
    Come along, my dear, take a seat.
3. British English spoken someone who is kind and helpful:
    Be a dear and make me a coffee.
4. old dear British English a fairly rude expression meaning an old woman

III

dear³ S2 W2 adjective (comparative dearer, superlative dearest)1. Dear used before someone’s name or title to begin a letter:
    Dear Sir or Madam, ...
    Dear Mrs. Wilson, ...
    Dear Meg, ...
2. British English expensive
   OPP  cheap:
    Cars are 59% dearer in Britain than in Europe.
3. formal a dear friend or relative is very important to you and you love them a lot:
    Mark became a dear friend.
    be dear to somebody
    His sister was very dear to him.
4. hold something dear to think that something is very important:
    Household economy was something my mother held very dear.
5. dear old ... British English spoken used to describe someone or something in a way that shows your love or liking of them
   SYN  good old:
    Here we are, back in dear old Manchester!
6. for dear life written if you run, fight, hold on etc for dear life, you do it as fast or as well as you can because you are afraid:
    She grasped the side of the boat and hung on for dear life.
7. the dear departed British English literary a person you love who has died
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ expensive costing a lot of money: an expensive car | Apartments in the city are very expensive. | An underground train system is expensive to build.
   ▪ high costing a lot of money.You use high about rents/fees/prices/costs. Don’t use expensive with these words: Rents are very high in this area. | Lawyers charge high fees. | the high cost of living in Japan
   ▪ dear [not before noun] British English spoken expensive compared to the usual price: £3.50 seems rather dear for a cup of coffee.
   ▪ pricey /ˈpraɪsi/ informal expensive: The clothes are beautiful but pricey.
   ▪ costly expensive in a way that wastes money: Upgrading the system would be very costly. | They were anxious to avoid a costly legal battle.
   ▪ cost a fortune informal to be very expensive: The necklace must have cost a fortune!
   ▪ exorbitant /ɪɡˈzɔːbətənt, ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt $ -ɔːr-/ much too expensive: Some accountants charge exorbitant fees.
   ▪ astronomical astronomical prices, costs, and fees are extremely high: the astronomical cost of developing a new spacecraft | the astronomical prices which some people had paid for their seats | The cost of living is astronomical.
   ▪ overpriced too expensive and not worth the price: The DVDs were vastly overpriced.
   ▪ somebody can’t afford something someone does not have enough money to buy or do something: Most people can’t afford to send their children to private schools.

IV

dear⁴ adverb
cost somebody dear written to cause a lot of trouble and suffering for someone:
    Carolyn’s marriage to Pete cost her dear.