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dearest

dearest

162 2.2
A person you love very much
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪrɪst/
  • Informal
translation icon : más querido
  • "Most of all, my dearest, how are you?"
  • dearest friend
  • nearest and dearest
  • dearest partner

It's my nearest and dearest, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu.

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Examples

  • She wrote a heartfelt letter to her dearest expressing her love.

  • And then it came to me, one of my dearest friends in the world, Mary.

  • My family and my dearest friends.

  • My nearest and dearest are here to watch the documentary.

  • Farewell, my dearest sister, fare you well.

  • You are one of my dearest friends and intellectual mentors.

  • Francesca's one of my dearest and closest friends.

  • I've always thought of you and treated you as one of my closest and dearest friends...

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It's from West Africa, and it was gifted to me by my dearest friend, Beth Ann Hardest.

  • You were my mother's dearest sister, and she would approve of my leaving Nina in your care.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

honey
vsdearest
  • Informal
1.0

A word you use to show love or affection to someone

is the more elevated form used to express deeper devotion
baby
vsdearest
  • Informal
1.0

A word used to show love for a romantic partner

is a slightly more formal affectionate label for deep care
darling
vsdearest
  • Informal
1.0

A person you love very much

is used more often as a direct affectionate address
sweetheart
vsdearest
  • Informal
1.0

A person you love in a romantic way

is broader, used for deep care both romantic and nonromantic
love
vsdearest
  • Informal
772 1.0

A word people use to address someone they care about, like dear

is used more as a direct term to show deep fondness
sweetie
vsdearest
  • Informal
558 2.8

A person you love or care for very much

is the deeper, more intense address showing very strong care
loved one
vsdearest
310 1.3

A person you care about deeply, like a family member or close friend

is more often used as a direct intimate address rather than label
dear
vsdearest
  • Informal
29 1.0

A person you love or like very much

is used more as a personal spoken term of deep care
beloved
vsdearest
19 3.4

A person who is very much loved

is used more directly as an intimate term of deep affection
hon
vsdearest
  • Informal
11 8.2

A short, loving name for a partner or close friend

is the more formal or stronger form used to show deep love
dearie
vsdearest
  • Informal
6 8.1

A word used to show love or kindness to someone

is the slightly more intense form used to show deep care
lovey
vsdearest
  • Informal
5 7.5

A gentle name used for someone you love

is the more serious form used to stress deep love
dovey
vsdearest
  • Informal
4 9.5

A person you love and feel close to

is a more sincere affectionate address expressing deeper feeling
deary
vsdearest
  • UK
2 8.4

A person you love or care about, often called this name to show love

is the stronger form used to stress deep personal affection
amore
vsdearest
  • Informal
2 8.2

A friendly word you use to call someone you love, like 'darling'

is more general and not tied specifically to romance
1 3.2

The person someone loves most and wants to spend their life with

is broader and applies to any person cared for very deeply
dearling
vsdearest
  • Archaic
9.9

A person you love and care about a lot

is the modern intimate form used to express strong love
sweetling
vsdearest
  • Archaic
8.1

A loving name for someone you care about

is a stronger, more serious term showing deeper attachment

Antonyms

1.0

A person who wants to harm or defeat you

How Close

dearest
  • Informal
162 2.2
dear
  • Informal
29 1.0
friend
1.0
acquaintance
114 3.5

Surface Forms

dearest singular
dearests plural

Morphology

dearest = dear (transparent) = dear + est

The word 'dearest' is transparently derived from 'dear' with the addition of the superlative suffix '-est', indicating the highest degree of affection.

Etymology

Dearest comes from the old English word dear, which meant 'precious' or 'beloved', and the ending -est makes it 'most'. So dearest is a warm name for the person you love most.