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Dear vs Hear - What's the difference?

dear | hear |

As verbs the difference between dear and hear

is that dear is (obsolete) to endear while hear is (label) to perceive sounds through the ear.

As an adjective dear

is loved; lovable or dear can be severe(ly affected), sore.

As a noun dear

is a very kind, loving person.

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

    *

    hear

    English

    (wikipedia hear)

    Verb

  • (label) To perceive sounds through the ear.
  • (label) To perceive (a sound, or something producing a sound) with the ear, to recognize (something) in an auditory way.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.}}
  • (label) To exercise this faculty intentionally; to listen to.
  • * 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , (w) X:
  • Agayne there was dissencion amonge the iewes for these sayinges, and many of them sayd: He hath the devyll, and is madde: why heare ye hym?
  • *{{quote-book, year=1935, author= George Goodchild
  • , title=Death on the Centre Court, chapter=3 , passage=It had been his intention to go to Wimbledon, but as he himself said: “Why be blooming well frizzled when you can hear all the results over the wireless. And results are all that concern me. […]”}}
  • (label) To listen favourably to; to grant (a request etc.).
  • (label) To receive information about; to come to learn of.
  • * 1667 , (John Milton), (Paradise Lost) :
  • Adam, soon as he heard / The fatal Trespass don by Eve, amaz'd, / Astonied stood and Blank [...].
  • (label) To listen to (a person, case) in a court of law; to try.
  • To sympathize with; to share the feeling or opinion of.
  • Derived terms

    * another county heard from * forehear * hard of hearing * hear about * hear hear * hear on the grapevine * hear out * hear the grass grow * hearing aid * mishear * overhear * rehear

    See also

    * audible * deaf * listen

    References

    * *

    Statistics

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