What is the Latin word for dear?

The usual Latin words for “dear” are cārus, grātus, iūcundus; also pretiōsus, puer, dulcis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“dear” in Latin

cārusdear, beloved; costly, expensive, valued grātuspleasing, acceptable, agreeable, welcome; dear, beloved; grateful, thankful iūcunduspleasant, agreeable, delightful, pleasing, delicious pretiōsusvaluable, precious; expensive, costly puera child; chit; a boy, lad (typically between ages 7-14 but could be younger) (older than an īnfāns but younger than an a dulcissweet; sweet-smelling, sweet-scented, fragrant; sweet-sounding, melodic, melodious, tuneful amōto love; to be fond of, like, admire; to be pleased by or with (someone or something) for (a particular reason); to deri sōdēsif you don't mind, if you please, by all means

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

dear

Beloved, carus; gratus; jucundus: a dear boy or girl, puer, puella suavis, dulcis: a dear man (ironically), suavis homo (Tac., Phorm., 2, 3, 64): my dear fellow (in accosting)! O bone! vir bone! also (in a parenthesis) amabo, or sodes: by whatever is most dear to you, have compassion upon us, per ea, quae tibi dulcissima sunt in vita, miserere nostri: I hold anybody dear, or anybody is dear to me, aliquis mihi carus, gratus, gratus acceptusque est; aliquem carum habeo; aliquem diligo, amo: very dear, aliquem unice diligo: to be dear to anybody, alicui cordi esse; ab aliquo amari, diligi: to hold anybody as dear as a son, aliquem haud secus diligere ac filium: he is as dear to me as my own brother, ne frater quidem mihi carior est: his life is dearer to him than his fame, illi major vitae quam gloriae cupido.

Costly, carus (opposed to vilis): magni pretii; pretiosus (opposed to parvi pretii). Corn is dear, annona cara est; in much dearer times, rebus carioribus multo (Ter., Phorm., 5, 3, 8): what you do not want is dear at any price, quod non opus est, asse carum est: to buy anything dear, aliquid emere care, or magno, or male; comparare aliquid magno pretio: very dear (used adverbially), carissime; impenso pretio, or impenso only: however dear it may be, quanti quanti: how dear, quanti: to make things dear, annonam incendere, or flagellare, or excandefacere (of persons; e.g., by buying up corn); caritatem annonae inferre [of things; e.g., of hail storms): everything was remarkably dear that year, annus in summa, caritate fuit: to sell dear, vendere care, or magno, or bene: to sell dearer, pluris vendere: to be sold exceedingly dear, impenso pretio venire: as dear as possible, quam plurimo venire: to pay very dear for anything, aliquid carissime emere (PROP.): maximas alicujus rei poenas dare (to smart for it): to be dear, care constare; pluris stare; non sine magna, mercede contingere (not to be had for a small sum): to be much dearer than, etc., multo pluris esse, quam, etc.

Dear (expressing astonishment)! proh Jupiter; proh deum atque hominum fidem.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for dear?: The usual Latin words for “dear” are cārus, grātus, iūcundus; also pretiōsus, puer, dulcis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.