Word
dearly
Phoneticsdear·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɪɹɫi/
UK/dˈiəli/
Adverb of degree
Definition
adv. very much; with a lot of love or affection.
adv. with great affection or fondness; often used to intensify verbs of liking or loving.
Examples
“She dearly loves her family.”
“He dearly wanted to visit his hometown before the old house was demolished.”
“The poet dearly cherished the quiet moments of dawn, finding in them a solace that the noisy city could never provide.”
Examples
simple
“She dearly loves her family.”
contextual
“He dearly wanted to visit his hometown before the old house was demolished.”
complex
“The poet dearly cherished the quiet moments of dawn, finding in them a solace that the noisy city could never provide.”
Usage
Usually placed before the verb it modifies, such as 'dearly love' or 'dearly miss'.
Etymology
From Middle English derely, deorliche, from Old English dēorlīċe (“worthily, richly”), equivalent to dear + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
01. sell dearly
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/dearly