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Glite Dictionary
dearness

dearness

1 7.4
A time when things cost a lot
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪrnəs/
translation icon : caro
  • Thus, in signification, the absolute difference between the self and the other becomes a nonindifference, whereby the self becomes a sign of the dearness of the other.

Examples

  • When I think of the dearness of you, Peter... and the goodness of the people we know-

    The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

  • What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.

    Blog text (34)

  • The movement of expiation, then, is the highest affirmation of the dearness of the other and of life, and such affirmation is precisely the point of dialogical relation.

    Academic text (1991)

  • "Nannie's dearness, the whispering, the gossip, the gestures that all pervade the story are aspects of the angelic message or the lack of it.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The dearness of imported goods makes them a luxury rather than a necessity.

  • Due to the dearness of living in the city, many families are moving to the suburbs.

  • The dearness of organic products often discourages budget-conscious shoppers.

Synonyms

costliness
vsdearness
1 5.9

A state of being expensive or having a high price

emphasizes high price or cost rather than general value
expensiveness
vsdearness
5.8

A high price that makes something hard to buy

is the same idea expressed by a different noun form

Antonyms

affordability
20 3.4

The state of being cheap enough for people to buy

cheapness
1 1.1

A state when something is sold at a low price

How Expensive

dearness
1 7.4
affordability
20 3.4
cheapness
1 1.1

Surface Forms

dearness singular
dearnesses plural

Morphology

dearness = dear (transparent) = dear + ness

Direct and regular noun formation from the adjective 'dear' using the productive suffix '-ness' to denote a state or quality.

Etymology

Dearness comes from the adjective dear, which originally meant 'precious' or 'valuable'. So dearness is the quality of being 'expensive' or 'costing a lot', and that's why we call something 'dear' when it has a high price.