endear

English

Alternative forms

• indear

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Italic *en

Proto-Italic *en-

Latin in-

Old French en-bor.

Middle English en-

English en-

English dear

English endear

From en- + dear.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)/, /ɛnˈdɪə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈdɪɚ/, /ɛnˈdɪɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Verb

endear (third-person singular simple present endears, present participle endearing, simple past and past participle endeared)

1. (obsolete) To make (something) more precious or valuable. [16th–17th c.]
2. (obsolete) To make (something) more expensive; to increase the cost of. [17th–19th c.]
3. (obsolete) To stress (something) as important; to exaggerate. [17th c.]
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 18, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     Salvianus Massiliensis […] saith, that amongst French-men, to lie and forsweare is no vice but a manner of speach. He that would endeare [translating encherir] this Testimonie, might say, it is now rather deemed a vertue among them.

4. To make (someone) dear or precious. [from 18th c.]

   By giving candy to the children the man tried to endear himself to them.

Synonyms

• bedear

Derived terms

• endearer
• endearing
• endearment
• unendearing

Translations

to cause to become liked

• Czech: získat oblibu pf, získat přízeň pf
• Finnish: miellyttää (fi), saada pitämään
• Russian: располагать (ru) impf (raspolagatʹ), расположить (ru) pf (raspoložitʹ)

Anagrams

• Andree, Dearne, deaner, earned, neared, readen