loving
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of loving
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lovyng; replacing Middle English lovende, Old English lufiende; see love, -ing 2
Explanation
Someone loving is affectionate and caring. Your loving grandmother might be your favorite grandparent because she clearly adores you. You can be a loving sister or a loving babysitter, and you can also describe kind things you do as loving, like the loving hug you give your sad friend or your uncle's loving gesture of sending your aunt flowers on her birthday. The adjective loving comes from the Old English lufian, "to love or approve," from the root lufu, "love, affection, or friendliness."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The family of a man who died after getting into difficulty in a lake in Nottinghamshire during recent hot weather have paid tribute to a "loving person".
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Heat loving amoebae may be able to survive and spread in regions where they were once uncommon, increasing the chance of human exposure.
From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026
But this stern, commanding figure is at odds with the deeply loving husband he has just become.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
I’m just loving this little piece that’s being shown to me.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, constant repetition, etc., are some of the special features of the Suzuki approach.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
