dearly
gb/dˈɪɹli/ us/dˈɪɹli/
B1
English
~ 6100
nagyon, drágán megfizet valamiért, sokba kerül, drágán, borsos áron
B1
1
nagyon
A1
Usage pattern:
to [verb] [someone/something] dearly
I love my children dearly.
Nagyon szeretem a gyerekeimet.
She misses her hometown dearly after moving abroad.
Amióta külföldre költözött, nagyon hiányzik neki a szülővárosa.
He cared dearly for his grandmother and visited her every weekend.
I would dearly love to see you again.
They value their privacy dearly and rarely share details of their personal life.
Learner examples
I love my wife dearly.
Nagyon szeretem a feleségemet.
She misses her old friends dearly.
Nagyon hiányoznak neki a régi barátai.
He cares dearly about his family.
I would dearly love to travel with you.
They value their time together dearly.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *dearly* only for money, like "I paid dearly for this watch" when they just mean it was expensive. In modern English, that sentence usually means you suffered in some way (time, effort, problems), not just that the price was high. For simple money meanings, *expensively* or *for a lot of money* is clearer.
Meaning
very much; with deep affection
Collocations
love dearly
|miss dearly
|care dearly
|value dearly
|dearly love to
|dearly miss
Synonyms
deeply (Very close in meaning; often used with feelings like love, regret, or respect.)
|
greatly (Similar degree of intensity but slightly more formal and less emotional than "dearly".)
Antonyms
slightly (Shows only a small amount of feeling, the opposite of the strong emotion in "dearly".)
|
mildly (Suggests weak or gentle feeling instead of strong affection.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very much, especially with strong love or feeling.
To a very great degree, especially showing strong love, affection, or feeling.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to pay dearly for [something]
He will pay dearly for lying to his friends.
Még drágán meg fog fizetni azért, hogy hazudott a barátainak.
Her carelessness cost her dearly in the final exam.
A figyelmetlensége sokba került neki a záróvizsgán.
If you ignore these warnings, you may suffer dearly later.
The team paid dearly for their defensive mistakes.
She betrayed their trust, and she paid dearly for it when no one believed her anymore.
Learner examples
He paid dearly for his mistake.
Drágán megfizetett a hibájáért.
Her laziness cost her dearly in the test.
A lustasága sokba került neki a teszten.
If you drive drunk, you may pay dearly for it.
They did not listen, and they suffered dearly.
He broke the rules and paid dearly in the end.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the emotional sense and write sentences like "I paid dearly for this phone" when they only mean it was expensive. In this consequence sense, *dearly* usually means you lost something important (time, health, trust, a game) or suffered punishment, not just that the price in money was high.
Meaning
with great loss or suffering
Collocations
pay dearly
|pay dearly for
|cost dearly
|cost [someone] dearly
|lose dearly
Synonyms
heavily (Often used about strong negative effects or serious punishment, similar to "dearly" in this sense.)
|
with serious consequences (A more explicit, slightly more formal paraphrase of the same idea.)
Antonyms
lightly (As in "get off lightly"; suggests very little punishment or loss, the opposite of paying dearly.)
|
cheaply (Can be used figuratively to mean with little cost or sacrifice, opposite to suffering a lot.)
Themes
consequences
|problems
|core_vocabulary
Definition
So that someone suffers a lot or loses a lot because of something they did or did not do.
In a way that results in serious loss, damage, or suffering as the consequence of something.
C1
3
drágán
A2
borsos áron
B2
Usage pattern:
to buy [something] dearly
We bought the house dearly, just before prices fell.
Drágán vettük meg a házat, közvetlenül azelőtt, hogy csökkentek az árak.
Collectors paid dearly for the rare first editions.
A gyűjtők borsos árat fizettek a ritka első kiadásokért.
He sold his shares dearly, making a large profit.
They had to purchase fuel dearly in the remote region.
During the shortage, basic food was sold dearly.
Learner examples
They bought the car dearly.
Drágán vették meg az autót.
We paid dearly for this flat.
Nagyon sokat fizettünk ezért a lakásért.
People paid dearly for food in the war.
He sold the painting dearly and made good money.
In that shop, clothes are sold dearly.
Common mistake:
This money sense is less common in modern everyday English and can easily be confused with the consequence sense. In many contexts, native speakers might understand "paid dearly" as suffering, not just spending a lot of money. To be clear in speaking and writing, learners can prefer *expensively* or *for a lot of money* for the simple price meaning.
Meaning
at a high price
Collocations
buy dearly
|sell dearly
|paid dearly for the house
|bought it dearly
Synonyms
expensively (Direct money-related equivalent; slightly more common and straightforward for talking about price.)
|
for a high price (A clear, literal paraphrase of the monetary meaning.)
Antonyms
cheaply (Means for a low price, the direct opposite of paying dearly in money.)
|
inexpensively (More formal/neutral opposite, used especially in writing about prices.)
Themes
money
|shopping
|daily_life
|finance
Definition
For a lot of money; at a high price.
At a high monetary price; expensively.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dearly
IPA
GB/dˈɪɹli/
US/dˈɪɹli/
Syllables & stress
dearly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dearly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dearly
- Plural: dearlies
Word family
Forms
dearlies
noun
Core family
dear
adjective A2
Related words
endear
verb
endearing
adjective
dearness
noun
Expressions
cost someone dearly
1/kˈɔst sˈʌmwˌʌn dˈɪɹli/
idiom
cause someone great loss or harm
To make someone lose a lot or suffer a lot because of something.
Examples
- His mistake on the final question cost him dearly.
- The injury cost her dearly and ended her career.
- Their poor planning could cost them dearly in the long run.
dearly beloved
1/dˈɪɹli bɪlˈʌvɪd/
fixed phrase
literary
people who are loved very much
Used, especially in formal or religious speech, to talk to people who are loved very much.
Examples
- "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today," began the minister.
- The speech opened with the traditional words, "Dearly beloved."
dearly beloved
1/dˈɪɹli bɪlˈʌvɪd/
fixed phrase
literary
very loved (often ceremonial)
very loved (used in formal ceremonies)
Examples
- Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate this marriage.
- Dearly beloved, we have come together to remember her life and work.
- He began the speech with “Dearly beloved,” in a joking imitation of a wedding ceremony.
pay dearly for
1/pˈeɪ dˈɪɹli fɚ/
idiom
suffer serious consequences for something
To suffer a lot or lose a lot because of something you did or did not do.
Examples
- If you cheat on the exam, you could pay dearly for it.
- The company paid dearly for ignoring safety rules.
- She paid dearly for trusting the wrong person.
would dearly love to
1/wˈʊd dˈɪɹli lˈʌv tə/
fixed phrase
very strongly want to do
Used to say that you really, really want to do something.
Examples
- I would dearly love to visit Japan one day.
- She would dearly love to have a little more free time.
- They would dearly love to win the championship this year.