Meaning
Expensive; costly — 'dat too dear' means that's too expensive. In Patois 'dear' is the everyday word for something that costs a lot, where other Englishes might say 'pricey' or 'steep', and it runs through all the daily talk of shopping, market, and money. Higglers and customers haggle over what is 'too dear', and in hard times, with prices high and money short, the complaint that everything is 'dear' is constant. It is the plain, common word for the burden of a high price on a tight pocket.
Examples
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Di price too dear, mi cyaa afford it.
The price is too expensive, I can't afford it.
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Everyting a get dear inna di shop.
Everything is getting expensive in the shop.
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Dat dear, gi mi a better price nuh.
That's costly, give me a better price, won't you.
Origin
From 'dear' in its 'costly/expensive' sense, kept as the everyday word in Patois.
How it’s used
Means 'expensive/costly' ('too dear'). Central to market haggling. Compare 'bruk pocket'.