dear
/ˈdɪɹ/
adjectivenounadverb
Core
1.adj.dearly loved
2.adj.with or in a close or intimate relationship
“a good friend”
3.adj.sincerely earnest
“one's dearest wish”
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dear and deer are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. dear means “dearly loved”. deer means “distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers”. dear is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɪɹ/
1.adj.dearly loved
2.adj.with or in a close or intimate relationship
“a good friend”
3.adj.sincerely earnest
“one's dearest wish”
/ˈdɪɹ/
| dear | deer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪɹ/ | /ˈdɪɹ/ |
| Said | dir | dir |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, noun, adverb | noun |
| Senses | 8 | 1 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | beloved, darling | cervid |
Full entry for dear · Full entry for deer · More comparisons
1.n.distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers