from time, "honor, price," signifies (a), primarily, "accounted as of great price, precious, costly," 1 Corinthians 3:12; Revelation 17:4; 18:12,16; 21:19 , and in the superlative degree, Revelation 18:12; 21:11; the comparative degree is found in 1 Peter 1:7 (polutimoteros, in the most authentic mss., "much more precious"); (b) in the metaphorical sense, "held in honor, esteemed, very dear," Acts 5:34 , "had in honor," RV (AV, "had in reputation"); so in Hebrews 13:4 , RV, "let marriage be had in honor;" AV, "is honorable;" Acts 20:24 , "dear," negatively of Paul's estimate of his life; James 5:7 , "precious" (of fruit); 1 Peter 1:19 , "precious" (of the blood of Christ); 2 Peter 1:4 (of God's promises). See COSTLY , HONORABLE , REPUTATION , PRECIOUS. Cp. timiotes, preciousness, Revelation 18:19 .

2: ἔντιμος

(Strong's #1784 — Adjective — entimos — en'-tee-mos )

"held in honor" (time, see above), "precious, dear," is found in Luke 7:2 , of the centurion's servant; 14:8, "more honorable;" Philippians 2:29 , "honor" (AV, "reputation"), of devoted servants of Christ; in 1 Peter 2:4,6 , "precious," of stones, metaphorically. See HONORABLE , REPUTATION , PRECIOUS.

3: ἀγαπητός

(Strong's #27 — Adjective — agapetos — ag-ap-ay-tos' )

from agape, "love," signifies "beloved;" it is rendered "very dear" in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (AV, "dear"), of the affection of Paul and his fellow workers for the saints at Thessalonica; in Ephesians 5:1; Colossians 1:7 , AV, "dear;" RV, "beloved." See BELOVED.

Note: In Colossians 1:13 , agape is translated "dear" in the AV; the RV, adhering to the noun, has "the Son of His love."

Bibliography Information
Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Dear'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/d/dear.html. 1940.

Bible Dictionaries Dear

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

Bible Dictionaries
Dear