adv
dearly
DEER-lee
adv
1
Very much; deeply.
"She loved her grandmother dearly."
"He wished dearly that he'd said goodbye properly."
2
At great cost, especially figuratively.
"They paid dearly for their mistake."
How to Use Dearly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishVery deeply (with love, loss, or wishing) or, figuratively, at a great cost.
Common pairings
dearly loved
pay dearly
dearly missed
Word Forms
more dearly comparative, dearlier comparative, most dearly superlative, dearliest superlative
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Etymology
From Old English deorlice, built on dear plus -ly.