Dearest

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪəɹɪst/

Definitions

1. Most beloved or cherished, usually referring to a person or thing held in highest affection ; having the greatest cost or price, often implying something costly to obtain
2. The person or object regarded with the highest affection and love ; something considered to have an extremely high monetary value
3. Held with deep affection and considered the most precious ; characterized by being very costly or valued highly in terms of price

Etymology: Old English "dēore" meant "expensive" or "of great value" before it ever described a person. A dear shop item cost a lot, and only later did the word come to mean precious to someone's heart. The sense of "beloved" grew out of "valuable," so anything you prized was, in a sense, costly to you. The same root gives German "teuer" and Dutch "duur," both still meaning "expensive," which shows how close the two senses sit in the family. "Dearest" is simply the superlative of "dear," formed by adding the "-est" ending to show the highest degree of affection. It is a regular English formation, so its history is that of its base word. The English word "dear" also has a separate, older sense from another source, meaning "fierce" or "bold." It comes from a different Old English word, "dēor," from the same Germanic root as "dear" in the sense of "beloved," but this is a distinct lineage and does not account for the affectionate meaning.

Synonyms: beloved, cherished, nearest, closest, fondest

Antonyms: least dear, unloved