1. to address or refer to someone in an affectionate or respectful way
以親切或尊敬的稱呼來稱呼某人
She deared him as "my love" in every letter.
她在每封信中都親切地稱他為「我的愛人」。
The old man deared the little girl, calling her "sweetheart".
老先生親切地稱呼那個小女孩為「甜心」。
Dear Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
dear
verb
快速理解
What does "Dear" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Dear"?
「dear」作為動詞較少見，主要用於書信開頭或表達珍視之情。
- 1
書信稱呼
EN: to address someone affectionately at the start of a letter
翻譯: 在書信開頭親切地稱呼某人，例如 "Dear John,"。
- 2
珍視、重視
EN: to hold someone or something in high regard or affection
翻譯: 將某人或某事物視為珍貴、重要或充滿感情。
- 3
付出高昂代價
EN: to cost someone dearly (often used in the phrase "pay dear")
翻譯: 讓某人付出高昂的代價或遭受嚴重損失。
小提醒：注意「dear」作動詞的用法在現代英語中並不常見，主要出現在固定書信格式或文學作品中。日常表達「珍愛」多用 "cherish" 或 "treasure"。
發音（How to Pronounce "Dear" in English）
How to pronounce "Dear" in English?"Dear" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Dear" from YouTube Videos
Alone but Not Lonely - ep. 1
Unknown channel
“it's just like the trick that social media can play on your mind, and I've talked about this before, like if you guys watched my video 3 or 4 years ago, it was called dear teenage girls”
(1 out of 22)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Dear"?How does "Dear" change by context?
2. to hold someone or something very dear; to cherish
將某人或某事物視為非常珍貴；珍愛
He dears that old pocket watch, a gift from his grandfather.
他非常珍愛那塊舊懷錶，那是他祖父送的禮物。
She dears the memories of her childhood home.
她珍視童年故居的回憶。
3. (archaic) to make something more expensive or costly
（古語）使某物變得更昂貴或代價更高
The war deared the price of basic necessities.
戰爭使得基本必需品的價格變得昂貴。
His stubbornness deared the victory, costing many lives.
他的固執使得勝利的代價高昂，犧牲了許多生命。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Dear"?How to make natural sentences with "Dear"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| dear + noun | 親愛的 + [稱呼] | "My dear friend, thank you for your help." (我親愛的朋友，謝謝你的幫助。) |
| dear + to + pronoun | 對某人來說很珍貴 | "This place is very dear to me." (這個地方對我來說非常珍貴。) |
| hold + someone/something + dear | 珍視某人/某物 | "She holds her family's traditions dear." (她非常珍視她家庭的傳統。) |
| cost + someone + dear | 讓某人付出沉重代價 | "His mistake cost him dear." (他的錯誤讓他付出了沉重的代價。) |
用法說明
How is "Dear" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Dear"?
dear to do vs. would dear to do
- dear to do 通常用於表達一種強烈的、發自內心的願望或渴望，這種願望帶有情感上的珍視或深切期盼。
- would dear to do 則更常出現在假設性或禮貌性的語境中，表示一種在特定條件下或更委婉表達的強烈願望。
- 在現代英語中，dear 作為動詞的用法已相當古舊或文學化，would dear to do 的結構比單純的 dear to do 更為常見。 EN: I dear to see my homeland again before I die. 翻譯: 我深切渴望在離世前能再見家鄉一面。
EN:I would dear to know the truth behind this mystery.
翻譯:我極想知道這謎團背後的真相。
總結建議
在表達強烈願望時，使用「would dear to do」比單獨使用「dear to do」更為自然且符合現代用法，尤其用於假設或委婉語氣。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Dear" and similar words?How to choose "Dear" vs alternatives?
dear vs like
「dear」作為動詞時，意指「珍視、重視」，帶有深厚的情感或高度評價。而「like」則表示一般的「喜歡、欣賞」，情感強度較弱，更為普遍和隨意。
dear vs cherish
「dear」與「cherish」都表示珍視，但「cherish」的情感更強烈、更具保護性，且更常用。動詞「dear」在現代英語中已相當古舊或文學化。
dear vs value
「dear」與「value」都可表示重視，但「value」更側重實用性、重要性或金錢上的估價，語氣較為客觀。動詞「dear」則更偏向主觀的情感依戀。
口語用法
How is "Dear" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Dear"?
引述
在口語中，"dear" 常用於引述或模仿他人親暱的稱呼，帶有一點幽默或戲謔的語氣。 EN: She always calls him "dear" in that sweet voice. 翻譯: 她總是用那種甜甜的聲音叫他「親愛的」。
EN:I heard him say, "Yes, dear," and then sigh.
翻譯:我聽到他說「好的，親愛的」，然後嘆了口氣。
語氣強調
在感嘆句中，"dear" 可用來加強驚訝、擔憂或懊惱的語氣，常與 "oh" 連用。 EN: Oh dear, I think I've locked my keys in the car. 翻譯: 哎呀，我好像把鑰匙鎖在車裡了。
EN:Dear me, that's a lot of money to spend!
翻譯:天啊，那要花好大一筆錢呢！
停頓填充
有時在猶豫或思考時，"dear" 會被用作一個短暫的停頓填充詞，類似於「嗯」、「那個」。 EN: Well, dear, I'm not quite sure how to put this. 翻譯: 這個嘛，親愛的，我不太確定該怎麼說。
EN:It's just that, dear... things have been a bit difficult lately.
翻譯:只是啊，親愛的…最近事情有點不太好辦。
正式寫作注意：上述口語用法，尤其是「停頓填充」和戲謔性的「引述」，在正式書面語（如報告、學術論文、商業信函）中應避免使用，以免顯得不夠嚴謹。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Dear"?What fixed phrases with "Dear" should I remember?
dear to someone
dear to [person/group]
對某人來說很珍貴、很重要
hold someone dear
hold [person/thing] dear
珍視、重視某人或某物
dear to the heart
dear to the heart (of someone)
深得（某人）喜愛、對（某人）意義重大
cost someone dear
cost [person] dear
讓某人付出高昂代價
my dear
my dear (as a form of address)
親愛的（稱呼語）
for dear life
hold on/grip/cling for dear life
拼命地、用盡全力地（抓緊、堅持等）
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Dear"?Which "Dear" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×I dear my family.
✓I hold my family dear.
作為動詞時，'dear' 極少單獨使用，通常以 'hold dear' 或 'dear to' 的片語形式出現，表示珍視。
×He deared the old watch from his grandfather.
✓He cherished the old watch from his grandfather.
動詞 'dear' 在現代英語中已非常古舊且罕用，表達「珍愛」時，應使用更常見的動詞如 'cherish', 'treasure', 或 'value'。
×This project is dearing to me.
✓This project is dear to me.
形容詞 'dear' 意為「珍貴的、親愛的」，其現在分詞 'dearing' 並非標準用法。表達「對某人來說很珍貴」應使用 'be dear to someone'。
×I deared to ask him for help.
✓I dared to ask him for help.
'Dear' 與 'dare'（敢於）發音和拼寫相似，但意義完全不同。'Dear' 作動詞時意為「珍視」，而 'dare' 意為「敢於、挑戰」。
×We must dear the environment.
✓We must cherish/protect the environment.
動詞 'dear' 不適用於表達「保護」或「愛護」具體事物（如環境）。在正式或現代語境中，應使用更精確的動詞如 'cherish', 'protect', 或 'care for'。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Dear"?What are tense/participle forms of "Dear"?
dears(3rd_singular)dearing(present_participle)deared(past)deared(past_participle)