Dear vs. Love

Dearadjective

High in price; expensive.

‘The dearer the jewel, the greater the love expressed.’;

Lovenoun

(uncountable) Strong affection.

Dearadjective

Loved; lovable.

Lovenoun

A profound and caring affection towards someone.

‘A mother’s love is not easily shaken.’; ‘My husband’s love is the most important thing in my life.’;

Dearadjective

Loving, affectionate, heartfelt

‘Such dear embrace tenderly comforts even in this dear sorrow.’;

Lovenoun

Affectionate, benevolent concern or care for other people or beings, and for their well-being.

Dearadjective

Precious to or greatly valued by someone.

‘The dearer the giver, the dearer the trinket he brings!’;

Lovenoun

A feeling of intense attraction towards someone.

‘I have never been in love as much as I have with you.’;

Dearadjective

A formal way to start (possibly after my) addressing somebody at the beginning of a letter, memo etc.

‘Dear Sir/Madam/Miss, please notice our offices will be closed during the following bank holidays:nb....’;

Lovenoun

A deep or abiding liking for something; an enthusiasm for something.

‘My love of cricket knows no bounds.’;

Dearadjective

A formal way to start (often after my) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly.

‘My dear friend, I feel better as soon as you come sit beside my sickbed!’;

Lovenoun

(countable) A person who is the object of romantic feelings; a darling, a sweetheart, a beloved.

Dearadjective

An ironic way to start (often after my) addressing an inferior.

‘My dear boy, if your grades don't pick up I won't bounce you on but over my knee!’;

Lovenoun

A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings.

‘Hello love, how can I help you?’;

Dearadjective

(obsolete) Noble.

Lovenoun

A thing, activity, etc which is the object of one's deep liking or enthusiasm.

Dearadjective

Severe, or severely affected; sore.

Lovenoun

(euphemistic) Sexual desire; attachment based on sexual attraction.

Dearadjective

(obsolete) Fierce.

‘The Christens found the heathens dear, as the lion doth the bear.’;

Lovenoun

(euphemistic) Sexual activity.

Dearnoun

A very kind, loving person.

‘My cousin is such a dear, always drawing me pictures.’;

Lovenoun

An instance or episode of being in love; a love affair.

Dearnoun

A beloved person

Lovenoun

Used as the closing, before the signature, of a letter, especially between good friends or family members, or by the young.

Dearverb

(obsolete) To endear.

Lovenoun

.

Dearadverb

dearly; at a high price

Lovenoun

(obsolete) A thin silk material.

Dearadjective

Bearing a high price; high-priced; costly; expensive.

‘The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear.’;

Lovenoun

A climbing plant, Clematis vitalba''.

Dearadjective

Marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price; as, a dear year.

Lovenoun

(racquet sports) Zero, no score.

‘So that’s fifteen-love to Kournikova.’;

Dearadjective

Highly valued; greatly beloved; cherished; precious.

‘Neither count I my life dear unto myself.’; ‘And the last joy was dearer than the rest.’; ‘Dear as remember'd kisses after death.’;

Loveverb

To have a strong affection for (someone or something).

‘I love my spouse.’; ‘I love you!’;

Dearadjective

Hence, close to the heart; heartfelt; present in mind; engaging the attention.

‘[I'll] leave you to attend him: some dear causeWill in concealment wrap me up awhile.’; ‘His dearest wish was to escape from the bustle and glitter of Whitehall.’;

Loveverb

(transitive) To need, thrive on.

‘Mold loves moist, dark places.’;

Dearadjective

Of disagreeable things and antipathies.

‘In our dear peril.’; ‘Would I had met my dearest foe in heavenOr ever I had seen that day.’;

Loveverb

To be strongly inclined towards something; an emphatic form of like.

‘I love walking barefoot on wet grass;’; ‘I'd love to join the team;’; ‘I love what you've done with your hair’;

Dearnoun

A dear one; lover; sweetheart.

‘That kiss I carried from thee, dear.’;

Loveverb

To care deeply about, to be dedicated to (someone or something).

Dearadverb

Dearly; at a high price.

‘If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear.’;

Loveverb

(transitive) To derive delight from a fact or situation.

‘I love the fact that the coffee shop now offers fat-free chai latte.’;

Dearverb

To endear.

Loveverb

(transitive) To lust for.

Dearnoun

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

Loveverb

To have sex with, (perhaps from make love.)

‘I wish I could love her all night long.’;

Dearnoun

a sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child)

Loveverb

To praise; commend.

Dearadjective

dearly loved

Loveverb

To praise as of value; prize; set a price on.

Dearadjective

with or in a close or intimate relationship;

‘a good friend’; ‘my sisters and brothers are near and dear’;

Lovenoun

A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preëminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters.

‘Of all the dearest bonds we proveThou countest sons' and mothers' loveMost sacred, most Thine own.’;

Dearadjective

earnest;

‘one's dearest wish’; ‘devout wishes for their success’; ‘heartfelt condolences’;

Lovenoun

Especially, devoted attachment to, or tender or passionate affection for, one of the opposite sex.

‘He on his sideLeaning half-raised, with looks of cordial loveHung over her enamored.’;

Dearadjective

having a high price;

‘costly jewelry’; ‘high-priced merchandise’; ‘much too dear for my pocketbook’; ‘a pricey restaurant’;

Lovenoun

Courtship; - chiefly in the phrase to make love, i. e., to court, to woo, to solicit union in marriage.

‘Demetrius . . . Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,And won her soul.’;

Dearadverb

with affection;

‘she loved him dearly’; ‘he treats her affectionately’;

Lovenoun

Affection; kind feeling; friendship; strong liking or desire; fondness; good will; - opposed to hate; often with of and an object.

‘Love, and health to all.’; ‘Smit with the love of sacred song.’; ‘The love of science faintly warmed his breast.’;

Dearadverb

at a great cost;

‘he paid dearly for the food’; ‘this cost him dear’;

Lovenoun

Due gratitude and reverence to God.

‘Keep yourselves in the love of God.’;

Dearadjective

regarded with deep affection

‘he is very dear to me’; ‘a dear friend’;

Lovenoun

The object of affection; - often employed in endearing address; as, he held his love in his arms; his greatest love was reading.

‘Open the temple gates unto my love.’;

Dearadjective

used in speech as a polite or affectionate form of address

‘Martin, my dear fellow’;

Lovenoun

Cupid, the god of love; sometimes, Venus.

‘Such was his form as painters, when they showTheir utmost art, on naked Lores bestow.’; ‘Therefore do nimble-pinioned doves draw Love.’;

Dearadjective

used in the polite form of address at the start of a letter.

Lovenoun

A thin silk stuff.

Dearadjective

endearing; sweet

‘a dear little puppy’;

Lovenoun

A climbing species of Clematis (Clematis Vitalba).

Dearadjective

expensive

‘five pounds—that's a bit dear!’;

Lovenoun

Nothing; no points scored on one side; - used in counting score at tennis, etc.

‘He won the match by three sets to love.’;

Dearnoun

used as an affectionate or friendly form of address

‘don't you worry, dear’;

Lovenoun

Sexual intercourse; - a euphemism.

‘A little western flower,Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound;And maidens call it love-in-idleness.’;

Dearnoun

a sweet or endearing person

‘Harry's a dear’;

Loveverb

To have a feeling of love for; to regard with affection or good will; as, to love one's children and friends; to love one's country; to love one's God.

‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’; ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self.’;

Dearadverb

at a high cost

‘they buy property cheaply and sell dear’;

Loveverb

To regard with passionate and devoted affection, as that of one sex for the other.

Dearinterjection

used in expressions of surprise, dismay, or sympathy

‘oh dear, I've upset you’;

Loveverb

To take delight or pleasure in; to have a strong liking or desire for, or interest in; to be pleased with; to like; as, to love books; to love adventures.

‘Wit, eloquence, and poetry.Arts which I loved.’;

Loveverb

To have the feeling of love; to be in love.

Lovenoun

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection;

‘his love for his work’; ‘children need a lot of love’;

Lovenoun

any object of warm affection or devotion;

‘the theater was her first love’; ‘he has a passion for cock fighting’;

Lovenoun

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

Lovenoun

a deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction;

‘their love left them indifferent to their surroundings’; ‘she was his first love’;

Lovenoun

a score of zero in tennis or squash;

‘it was 40 love’;

Lovenoun

sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people;

‘his lovemaking disgusted her’; ‘he hadn't had any love in months’; ‘he has a very complicated love life’;

Loveverb

have a great affection or liking for;

‘I love French food’; ‘She loves her boss and works hard for him’;

Loveverb

get pleasure from;

‘I love cooking’;

Loveverb

be enamored or in love with;

‘She loves her husband deeply’;

Loveverb

have sexual intercourse with;

‘This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm’; ‘Adam knew Eve’; ‘Were you ever intimate with this man?’;

Love

Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love of a mother differs from the love of a spouse, which differs from the love of food.