lief
[ leef ]
/ lif /
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adverb
gladly; willingly: I would as lief go south as not.
adjective Archaic.
willing; desirous.
dear; beloved; treasured.
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of lief
First recorded before 900; Middle English leef, Old English lēof; cognate with Dutch lief, German lieb, Old Norse ljufr, Gothic liufs; akin to love
OTHER WORDS FROM lief
liefly, adverbWords nearby lief
lied, lieder, Liederkranz, lie detector, lie-down, lief, liege, liegeman, Liegnitz, Lie group, lie-in
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for lief
British Dictionary definitions for lief
lief
/ (liːf) /
adverb
rare gladly; willinglyI'd as lief go today as tomorrow
adjective
archaic
- ready; glad
- dear; beloved
Word Origin for lief
Old English leof; related to lufu love
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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