Dear vs. Love — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Dear and Love
ADVERTISEMENT
Compare with Definitions
Dear
Regarded with deep affection
He is very dear to me
A dear friend
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.
Dear
Expensive
Five pounds—that's a bit dear!
Love
A strong feeling of affection and concern toward another person, as that arising from kinship or close friendship.
Dear
Used as an affectionate or friendly form of address
Don't you worry, dear
ADVERTISEMENT
Love
A strong feeling of affection and concern for another person accompanied by sexual attraction.
Dear
At a high cost
They buy property cheaply and sell dear
Love
A feeling of devotion or adoration toward God or a god.
Dear
Used in expressions of surprise, dismay, or sympathy
Oh dear, I've upset you
Love
A feeling of kindness or concern by God or a god toward humans.
Dear
Loved and cherished
My dearest friend.
Love
Often Love(Christianity) Charity.
Dear
Greatly valued; precious
Lost everything dear to them.
Love
Sexual desire or activity
The pleasures of love.
A night of love.
Dear
Highly esteemed or regarded. Used in direct address, especially in salutations
Dear Lee Dawson.
Love
An instance of being in love
Teenage loves can be as fleeting as they are intense.
Dear
High-priced; expensive.
Love
A person for whom one has strong feelings of affection
She met her new love at the restaurant.
Dear
Charging high prices.
Love
Used as a term of endearment for such a person.
Dear
Earnest; ardent
"This good man was a dear lover and constant practicer of angling" (Izaak Walton).
Love
An intense emotional attachment to something, as to a pet or treasured object.
Dear
(Obsolete) Noble; worthy.
Love
An expression of one's affection
Send him my love.
Dear
Heartfelt
It is my dearest wish.
Love
A strong predilection or enthusiasm
A love of language.
Love for the game of golf.
Dear
Severe; grievous; sore
Our dearest need.
Love
The object of such an enthusiasm
The outdoors is her greatest love.
Dear
A person who is greatly loved. Often used as a form of address.
Love
Love(Mythology) Eros or Cupid.
Dear
An endearing, lovable, or kind person
What a dear she is!.
Love
(Sports) A score of zero, as in tennis.
Dear
With fondness; affectionately.
Love
To feel love for (a person)
We love our parents. I love my friends.
Dear
At a high cost
Sold their wares dear.
Love
To feel sexual love for (a person).
Dear
Used as a polite exclamation, chiefly of surprise or distress
Oh dear.
Dear me.
Love
To feel devotion to (God or a god).
Dear
(UK) High in price; expensive.
The dearer the jewel, the greater the love expressed.
Love
To feel or show kindness or concern to (a person). Used of God or a god.
Dear
Loved; lovable.
Love
To have an intense emotional attachment to
Loves his house.
Dear
Lovely; kind.
Love
To embrace or caress
They were loving each other on the sofa.
Dear
Loving, affectionate, heartfelt
Such dear embrace tenderly comforts even in this dear sorrow.
Love
To have sexual intercourse with.
Dear
Precious to or greatly valued by someone.
The dearer the giver, the dearer the trinket he brings!
Love
To like or desire enthusiastically
Loves swimming.
Dear
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....
Love
To thrive on; need
The cactus loves hot, dry air.
Dear
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!
Love
To feel love or sexual love for another.
Dear
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!
Love
(uncountable) A deep caring for the existence of another.
Dear
(obsolete) Noble.
Love
(uncountable) Strong affection.
Dear
Severe, or severely affected; sore.
Love
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.
Dear
(obsolete) Fierce.
The Christens found the heathens dear, as the lion doth the bear.
Love
Affectionate, benevolent concern or care for other people or beings, and for their well-being.
Dear
A very kind, loving person.
My little cousin is such a dear, always drawing me pictures.
Love
A feeling of intense attraction towards someone.
I have never been in love as much as I have with you.
Dear
A beloved person.
Love
A deep or abiding liking for something; an enthusiasm for something.
My love of cricket knows no bounds.
Dear
An affectionate, familiar term of address, such as used between husband and wife.
Pass me the salt, would you dear?
Love
(countable) A person who is the object of romantic feelings; a darling, a sweetheart, a beloved.
Dear
An elderly person, especially a woman.
Love
A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings.
Hello love, how can I help you?
Dear
(obsolete) To endear.
Love
A thing, activity, etc. which is the object of one's deep liking or enthusiasm.
Dear
Dearly; at a high price.
Love
(euphemistic) Sexual desire; attachment based on sexual attraction.
Dear
(dated) Indicating surprise, pity, or disapproval.
Dear, dear! Whatever were they thinking?
Love
(euphemistic) Sexual activity.
Dear
Bearing a high price; high-priced; costly; expensive.
The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear.
Love
An instance or episode of being in love; a love affair.
Dear
Marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price; as, a dear year.
Love
Used as the closing, before the signature, of a letter, especially between good friends or family members, or by the young.
Dear
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.
Love
(obsolete) A thin silk material.
Dear
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.
Love
A climbing plant, Clematis vitalba.
Dear
Of disagreeable things and antipathies.
In our dear peril.
Would I had met my dearest foe in heavenOr ever I had seen that day.
Love
Zero, no score.
So that’s fifteen-love to Kournikova.
Dear
A dear one; lover; sweetheart.
That kiss I carried from thee, dear.
Love
Nothing; no recompense.
Dear
Dearly; at a high price.
If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear.
Love
To have a strong affection for (someone or something).
I love my spouse.
I love you!
I love that song!
Dear
To endear.
Love
(transitive) To need, thrive on.
Mold loves moist, dark places.
Dear
A beloved person; used as terms of endearment
Love
(transitive) 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
Dear
A sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child)
Love
To care deeply about, to be dedicated to (someone or something).
Dear
Dearly loved
Love
(transitive) To derive delight from a fact or situation.
I love the fact that the coffee shop now offers fat-free chai latte.
Dear
With or in a close or intimate relationship;
A good friend
My sisters and brothers are near and dear
Love
To have sex with (perhaps from make love).
I wish I could love her all night long.
Dear
Earnest;
One's dearest wish
Devout wishes for their success
Heartfelt condolences
Love
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.
Dear
Having a high price;
Costly jewelry
High-priced merchandise
Much too dear for my pocketbook
A pricey restaurant
Love
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.
Dear
With affection;
She loved him dearly
He treats her affectionately
Love
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.
Dear
At a great cost;
He paid dearly for the food
This cost him dear
Love
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.
Love
Due gratitude and reverence to God.
Keep yourselves in the love of God.
Love
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.
Love
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.
Love
A thin silk stuff.
Love
A climbing species of Clematis (Clematis Vitalba).
Love
Nothing; no points scored on one side; - used in counting score at tennis, etc.
He won the match by three sets to love.
Love
Sexual intercourse; - a euphemism.
A little western flower,Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound;And maidens call it love-in-idleness.
Love
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.
Love
To regard with passionate and devoted affection, as that of one sex for the other.
Love
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.
Love
To have the feeling of love; to be in love.
Love
A strong positive emotion of regard and affection;
His love for his work
Children need a lot of love
Love
Any object of warm affection or devotion;
The theater was her first love
He has a passion for cock fighting
Love
A beloved person; used as terms of endearment
Love
A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction;
Their love left them indifferent to their surroundings
She was his first love
Love
A score of zero in tennis or squash;
It was 40 love
Love
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
Love
Have a great affection or liking for;
I love French food
She loves her boss and works hard for him
Love
Get pleasure from;
I love cooking
Love
Be enamored or in love with;
She loves her husband deeply
Love
Have sexual intercourse with;
This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm
Adam knew Eve
Were you ever intimate with this man?
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Cadherin vs. Integrin
Next Comparison
Milady vs. Lady
