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REFERENCE

dearly

adv. degree
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdɪɹɫi// UK //dˈiəli// dear·ly

adv. in a way that shows deep love or strong feeling. You use it to describe how much you care about someone or something.

adv. with great affection, love, or intensity of feeling. Typically modifies verbs of emotional attachment or valuation.


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.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English derely, deorliche, from Old English dēorlīċe (“worthily, richly”), equivalent to dear + -ly.

Usage

Typically placed before the verb it modifies, especially with 'love', 'want', or 'miss'.

Idioms2 entries

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