# dearly

/ˈdɪɹɫi/ (US) · /dˈiəli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dearly
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. very much

adverb · CEFR B2

very much; with a lot of love or affection.

For teachers: with great affection or fondness; often used to intensify verbs of liking or loving.

- She loved her grandmother dearly and visited her every single weekend.
- He missed his homeland dearly, often spending hours looking at old photographs of the mountains where he grew up.

Usage: Usually placed before the verb it modifies, such as 'dearly love' or 'dearly miss'.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.