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Dear vs Deaf - What's the difference?

dear | deaf |

As adjectives the difference between dear and deaf

is that dear is loved; lovable or dear can be severe(ly affected), sore while deaf is of or relating to the culture surrounding deaf users of sign languages.

As a noun dear

is a very kind, loving person.

As a verb dear

is (obsolete) to endear.

As an adverb dear

is (obsolete) dearly; at a high price.

dear

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) dere, from (etyl) .

Adjective

(er)
  • Loved; lovable.
  • *
  • *:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
  • Loving, affectionate, heartfelt
  • :
  • Precious to or greatly valued by someone.
  • :
  • High in price; expensive.
  • :
  • A formal way to start (possibly after my ) addressing somebody at the beginning of a letter, memo etc.
  • :
  • A formal way to start (often after my ) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly.
  • :
  • *, chapter=7
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing.
  • An ironic way to start (often after my ) addressing an inferior.
  • :
  • (lb) Noble.
    • Derived terms
    * dearly * dear me * dearness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A very kind, loving person.
    • My cousin is such a dear , always drawing me pictures.
  • A beloved person
    • Synonyms
    * (kind loving person) darling
    Derived terms
    * oh dear * the dear knows

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To endear.
    • (Shelton)

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (obsolete) dearly; at a high price
  • * Shakespeare
    • If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear .

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) dere, from (etyl) . Cognate with the above

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Severe(ly affected), sore

    • Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * English affectionate terms ----

    deaf

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Unable to hear, or only partially able to hear.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf .
  • * Dryden
    • Deaf with the noise, I took my hasty flight.
  • Unwilling to listen or be persuaded; determinedly inattentive; regardless.
    • Those people are deaf to reason.
  • * Shakespeare
    • O, that men's ears should be / To counsel deaf , but not to flattery!
  • Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened.
  • * Dryden
    • A deaf murmur through the squadron went.
  • (obsolete, UK, dialect) Decayed; tasteless; dead.
    • a deaf''' nut; '''deaf corn
    (Halliwell)
  • * Holland
    • If the season be unkindly and intemperate, they [peppers] will catch a blast; and then the seeds will be deaf , void, light, and naught.

    Synonyms

    * hard of hearing * hearing-impaired

    Derived terms

    * turn a deaf ear * stone deaf * fall on deaf ears

    See also

    * inaudible (unable to be heard ) * anosmic * blind

    Noun

  • Deaf people considered as a group.

    • Derived terms

    * deaf aid * deaf and dumb * deaf-mute * deafen * deafness

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To deafen.
    • (Dryden)

    See also

    * (pedia) * (Deaf culture)

    Anagrams

    * * ----