dearest
dearest — adjective
1. written before a name in a letter or message to show warm love and closeness
written before a name in a letter or message to show warm love and closeness
"Dearest Talia, the children drew you a welcome card for Saturday."
Dearest + name in a message opening
In the email, Baraka wrote, "Dearest Mum, I landed safely in Osaka."
Rafael opened the postcard with the words, "Dearest friend, I miss home."
The diary entry began, "Dearest Nicholas, please forgive yesterday's sharp reply."
文法句型
Dearest + name
Dearest + family word
用法筆記
This sense usually appears in the opening line of a letter, card, or personal message. It describes how the writer addresses the reader, not how the reader is described later in the sentence.
2. loved more than anything else, or held with the strongest feeling in your heart
loved more than anything else, or held with the strongest feeling in your heart
Eric kept his dearest childhood photos in a box under the bed.
dearest + possession
Our dearest wish is that Grandpa walks home again by summer.
Talia still carries the dearest memory of her mother before the concert.
The village protected its dearest spring during the long dry season.
- least valued
describes something given the lowest importance
文法句型
dearest + memory
dearest + wish
dearest + possession
用法筆記
Often used with nouns such as wish, memory, or possession to mark what matters most. Distinguish it from sense 1, which only introduces the reader in a message.
dearest — noun
1. the person you love deeply, or a loving way of speaking directly to that person
the person you love deeply, or a loving way of speaking directly to that person
Rafael bought flowers for his dearest before the train to Tainan.
for + possessive + dearest
Come and sit here, my dearest; dinner is almost ready.
After the argument, Élise texted, "Good night, dearest. Travel safely tomorrow."
Eric told the nurse, "Please call my dearest after the surgery."
- darling
very close in meaning and common in direct address
- sweetheart
warmer and more everyday in modern speech
- beloved
more formal and often literary
文法句型
my dearest
good night, dearest
用法筆記
When it means the loved person, dearest often follows a possessive such as my. When it is direct address, it stands alone after a comma, unlike adjective sense 1 before a name in a greeting.
常見錯誤
dearest — adverb
1. more lovingly or warmly than anyone or anything else
more lovingly or warmly than anyone or anything else
Among all his uncles, Nicholas loved Uncle Mateo dearest.
love + someone + dearest
Of all the songs, Talia remembered her mother's lullaby dearest.
After the move, Putri held the old harbour dearest in memory.
After thirty years abroad, Sumin remembered Busan dearest at New Year.
- most dearly
the more common modern wording
- most fondly
common when speaking about warm memories
文法句型
love + someone + dearest
remember + something + dearest
用法筆記
This sense is literary and uncommon in everyday conversation. It usually follows verbs such as love, remember, hold, or prize to compare what someone feels most warmly about.
2. with the greatest loss, pain, or other heavy cost compared with others
with the greatest loss, pain, or other heavy cost compared with others
Small farmers paid dearest after the river bridge collapsed in June.
pay dearest after a damaging event
When rent rose suddenly, new parents in Taipei paid dearest.
Remote villages paid dearest for the storm that cut power lines.
After the price jump, students living alone paid dearest for heating.
- most heavily
common when describing the size of a loss or burden
- most dearly
modern fixed wording in the phrase pay dearly
文法句型
pay dearest
pay dearest for + event
用法筆記
This sense is mostly seen in formal or journalistic writing about who suffers most after a crisis. It normally appears with pay and refers to money, hardship, or damage rather than affection.