dear

nouns

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

beloved, dear, dearest, honey, love

a sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child)

dear, lamb

dearly loved

beloved, darling, dear

with or in a close or intimate relationship

"a good friend"; "my sisters and brothers are near and dear"

dear, good, near

earnest

"one's dearest wish"; "devout wishes for their success"; "heartfelt condolences"

dear, devout, earnest, heartfelt

having a high price

"costly jewelry"; "high-priced merchandise"; "much too dear for my pocketbook"; "a pricey restaurant"

costly, dear, high-priced, pricey, pricy

is derived from

with affection

"she loved him dearly"; "he treats her affectionately"

affectionately, dear, dearly

at a great cost

"he paid dearly for the food"; "this cost him dear"

dear, dearly