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love-hate relationship

American  
[luhv-heyt ri-ley-shuhn-ship] / ˈlʌvˈheɪt rɪˈleɪ ʃənˌʃɪp /

noun

  1. 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.

For years, I’ve been stuck in a love-hate relationship with third-party food delivery apps, including DoorDash and Grubhub.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026

His love-hate relationship with fans in France continued this season in Bordeaux as he was booed in the Champions Cup final rematch, where he scored twice in defeat.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, who has a love-hate relationship with private credit, warned about more credit “cockroaches” lurking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

Society has a remarkable love-hate relationship with artificial sweeteners.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025

At the same time, Mami and Papi battled each other, intruding into my fantasies with their real-life love-hate relationship.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

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.