nearest and dearest
/ˈnɪɹɪst(ə)n ˈdɪɹɪst/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.34 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "Petronius calleth this paſſion [i.e., jealousy] amantium furioſam æmulationem, a furious emulation, and their ſymptomes are well expreſſed by Sʳ Ieffrey Chaucer in his firſt Canterbury tale. It will make the neareſt & deareſt friends fall out; they will endure al other things to be common, goods, lands, moneyes, participate of all other pleaſures, and take in good part any diſgraces, iniuries in another kind, but as Propertius well deſcribes it in an Elegie of his, in this they will ſuffer nothing, have no corriuals."
- "It was impoſſible that the queen of France [Marie Antoinette] ſhould not be deeply affected by a conteſt, which ſo cloſely involved her neareſt and deareſt connections, and threatened ſo immediate and perhaps irreparable a breach of the harmony and friendſhip ſubſiſting between them."
- "In the work that it [the Servants of India Society] will do in the future it will be the spirit of Mr. [Gopal Krishna] Gokhale that will inspire it. So I would remind you that while you raise a statue to his public honour, do not forget what matters more, the hope that ever nestled warmly in his heart, that is nearest and dearest to those who imitate him, throwing away everything of this world and burning upon the altar of their country in sacrifice all that the world could give of joy and wealth, […]"
- "[W]hile all mourned and honoured the dead, thou hast lived to merit our hate and execration—lived to unite thyself with the vile tyrant who murdered thy nearest and dearest— […]"
- "Several days passed by, and to all appearance we had quite forgotten our poor old servitor, – so heartless in remembrance is weak humanity to its nearest and dearest, – when, in course of time, it got to be New Year's eve, and we were sitting in our study, awaiting the cook's preparations for dinner, when suddenly we heard a noise as of much tramping."
- "Christmas is the time to nurture friendships and spend as much time as possible with your nearest and dearest."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈnɪɹɪst(ə)n ˈdɪɹɪst/
- British English: /ˈnɪəɹɪst(ə)n ˈdɪəɹɪst/
Inflected Forms
form only (superlative)