What does endear mean?
Endear is a transitive verb meaning to make someone loved, liked, or admired. It describes how a person's qualities or behaviour win affection from others, rather than naming a deliberate attempt at charm. In practice it almost always appears in one of two patterns: reflexively, as in 'he endeared himself to his colleagues', or with a trait as the subject, as in 'her honesty endeared her to voters'. The word carries warm, positive connotations and tends toward formal or literary registers, making it common in journalism, biography, and reviews but less frequent in everyday conversation. It derives from the adjective dear, which comes through Middle English from Old English dēore, ultimately from a Germanic root associated with value and preciousness. Its noun derivative, endearment, refers to an affectionate expression such as 'sweetheart'. Endear remains useful precisely because it captures affection earned indirectly — through character rather than effort.
verbTo cause someone to be loved, admired, or liked by others; to make oneself or someone else dear to a person.
- To cause (someone) to be loved or cherished by another; usually used reflexively as 'endear oneself to' or with an object and 'to'.
"Her quiet generosity endeared her to the whole village."
"The professor's dry humour quickly endeared him to his students."
"It was the little dog's stubborn loyalty that endeared it to everyone in the household."
Endear is one of the few English verbs whose most natural subject isn't a person — it's a quality: kindness endears, honesty endears, even clumsiness can endear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of endear
Endear was formed in early modern English from the prefix en- ('to make, cause to be') combined with dear, the ancient adjective for something loved or precious, which descends through Middle English from Old English dēore and cognate forms across the Germanic languages, including German teuer. The verb thus literally means 'to make dear'. Its derivative endearment, denoting an expression of affection, developed shortly afterwards and has remained the more frequently encountered form of the pair.
Related word forms
How endear is actually used
Almost always appears in the construction 'endear someone/oneself to someone', where the thing doing the endearing is typically a trait, action, or habit rather than a deliberate act. Slightly formal or literary register; rare in casual speech. Often used reflexively ('endear himself to'). The passive ('was endeared to') also occurs. The related noun 'endearment' — a term of affection such as 'darling' — is more common than the verb in everyday use.
Easily confused with endear
Engrave means to carve or inscribe on a hard surface, whereas endear means to make someone loved.
Endorse means to publicly support or approve something, while endear means to cause someone to become loved.