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love-hate relationship

American

[luhv-hayt ri-lay-shuhn-ship] / ˈlʌvˈheɪt rɪˈleɪ ʃənˌʃɪp /

noun

a state of ambivalence in which one feels both love and hate for someone or something.

Transylvania has something of a love-hate relationship with Dracula tourism.
The love-hate relationship between directors and actors is entertainingly dissected in this kiss-and-tell memoir from the directing frontlines.

Etymology

Origin of love-hate relationship

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

See Examples For:

love-hate relationship

The co-brand cards that millions of consumers use have long been the epicenter of a love-hate relationship between large merchants and banks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Like any big city with great assets and unlimited challenges, many residents have a love-hate relationship with L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026

Bûcheron — James Beard Award-winning Bûcheron may have softened my love-hate relationship with French cuisine.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

She’s had a love-hate relationship with her body throughout her lifetime, she says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026

This puzzled me until I remembered what Mum says about Kat and me having a love-hate relationship and I worked out that the same was true of Rashid and Aunt Gloria.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023