Dearly is an adverb meaning 'to a great extent or deeply; with great affection or earnestness.' It also functions as an idiomatic intensifier in expressions like 'dearly beloved' or 'hold dearly to one's beliefs.' The term connotes strong emotion, value, or cost, and can be used in formal or literary contexts as well as everyday speech when describing attachment, importance, or expense.
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"She spoke dearly of her grandmother and kept her letters close to her heart."
"They paid dearly for the mistake, learning a hard lesson about planning ahead."
"I would dearly love to join you for dinner, if my schedule permits."
"The old ship sank dearly in the storm, and only a few survived."
Dearly comes from the Old English dearle, dearlic, meaning 'valued, precious, costly' with roots tied to ifad meanings of love and value. Over time, the sense shifted toward intensity of emotion and devotion—think of phrases like 'dear to me' or 'dearly beloved.' The form evolved through Middle English into early Modern English as a common adverbial and adjectival intensifier. The common modern spelling and pronunciation coalesced around the 16th–18th centuries, aligning with other adverbial intensifiers such as sadly, greatly, and fully. The semantic trajectory tracks from concrete cost or value to abstract emotional emphasis, while preserving the core sense of high regard and strong attachment. First known written attestations appear in religious and poetic texts, where expressions of affection and solemn reverence frequently used the term to convey depth of feeling.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "dearly" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "dearly"
-rly sounds
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US/UK/AU pronunciation centers the stressed first syllable: DEER-lee, with the 'ea' digraph representing /ɪr/ (US) or /ɪə/ (UK/AU). In IPA: US /ˈdɪr.li/, UK/AU /ˈdɪə.li/. The second syllable is a light, unstressed 'ly' (/li/). Keep the initial vowel sound distinct and avoid reducing the first syllable to a schwa. Beginner tip: enunciate 'deer' as /dɪr/ (to mimic the long 'ee' feel) and then add a clear 'ly'.
Two frequent errors: 1) Reducing the first syllable to a schwa (/də-lee/), which softens the essential /ɪr/ or /ɪə/ quality. Correction: maintain a clear /ɪr/ (US) or /ɪə/ (UK/AU) on the first syllable: /ˈdɪr.li/ or /ˈdɪə.li/. 2) Pronouncing the second syllable as a stressed syllable or elongating the 'ly' (/liː/). Correction: keep the second syllable unstressed and short: /li/.
In US English, 'dearly' features /ˈdɪr.li/ with rhotic /r/ in the first syllable. UK/AU typically use /ˈdɪə.li/ with a non-rhotic or semi-rhotic approach, where /r/ is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. Vowel quality on the first syllable shifts from /ɪr/ (US) to /ɪə/ (UK/AU). The second syllable remains /li/ in all accents, but timing can vary with stress and rhythm.
The challenge lies in the diphthong or vowel cluster in the first syllable: /ɪr/ (US) versus /ɪə/ (UK/AU). Achieving a clean onset for /d/ followed by a stable nucleus /ɪ/ or /ɪə/ and a smooth /r/ (US) without over-articulating the liquid can be tricky. Additionally, keeping the second syllable unstressed and reducing vowel duration in rapid speech requires precise timing and muscle control.
Focus on the transition from the consonant /d/ to the rhotic liquid /ɪr/ (US) or the /ɪə/ (UK/AU). Start with a light alveolar click, then quickly pull into a rounded, relaxed vowel for the r-sound (US). Avoid turning the first syllable into /dæ/ or /də/; keep a bright, crisp nucleus with minimal lip rounding on the /ɪ/ or /ɪə/.
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