# dearly

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ˈdɪɹli/ · frequency rank #15,381

## Definitions
1. In a dear or precious manner.
2. In a dear or expensive manner.
3. At great expense; dear.

## Etymology
From Middle English derely, deorliche, from Old English dēorlīċe (“worthily, richly”), equivalent to dear + -ly.

## Easily confused with
- **derby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-derby)
- **diary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-diary)
- **Derry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-derry)
- **decry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-decry)
- **deeply** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-deeply)
- **dreary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-dreary)
- **dearth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-dearth)
- **deftly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-deftly)
- **deathly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dearly-vs-deathly)
- **deal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deal-vs-dearly)
- **dear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dear-vs-dearly)
- **Daly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/daly-vs-dearly)
- **daily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/daily-vs-dearly)
- **deals** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deals-vs-dearly)
- **dealt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dealt-vs-dearly)
- **Darcy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darcy-vs-dearly)
- **darby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darby-vs-dearly)
- **dally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dally-vs-dearly)
- **Darla** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darla-vs-dearly)
- **deadly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deadly-vs-dearly)

## Common misspellings (9)
`daerly`, `ddearly`, `dealry`, `dearlly`, `dearlyy`, `dearrly`, `dearyl`, `deraly`, `edarly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dearly