near and dear

prepositional phrase

Loved or cared about greatly.

“Writing has been near and dear to me for a long time.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticLoved or cared about greatly.

    Writing has been near and dear to me for a long time.

    1 more example

    This bracelet is a gift from my spouse, who I hold near and dear.

Cite this entry
APA

near and dear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/near%20and%20dear

MLA

“near and dear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/near%20and%20dear. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “near and dear,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/near%20and%20dear.

Source: near and dear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.