hold somebody/something dear

hold (someone or something) dear

To consider someone or something to be very valuable or important, especially at a personal level. Even though this old pocket watch doesn't work anymore, I still hold it dear as it was the last thing my grandfather ever gave me. I consider myself a pretty gregarious person, but there are only a few people I truly hold dear. We purport to hold these values dear, but our actions contradict them.See also: dear, hold

hold somebody/something ˈdear

(formal) feel that somebody/something is of great value: He laughed at the ideas they held dear.See also: dear, hold, somebody, something