lovable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lovable
First recorded in 1300–50, lovable is from the Middle English word lovable, lufabille. See love, -able
Explanation
Someone lovable is very easy to love. Kittens and puppies, cute fictional characters, and sweet-faced stuffed animals all tend to be lovable. Clowns? Not so much. People who are kind and generous to others are also lovable, because they deserve love in return for giving it to others. The adjective lovable comes from love, which has the Old English 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.
A lovable champion celebrates a first-ever World Series title as the sport girds for an extended, soul-sucking lockout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
American comedy icon Carol Burnett shared a clip of Curry's turn as her smarmy brother in Annie, posting on social media that "nobody could play lovable villains better than he could".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Beyond making us laugh, Neill’s wit was one of those special traits that enhanced all the other aspects that made him so lovable as both an actor and a person.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
For Slattery, what begins as an exercise in comic self-demolition gradually becomes the movie’s biggest surprise, with the actor turning a desperate, delusional version of himself into its most unexpectedly lovable character.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
They admitted that, no matter which way you looked at it, Johnny Nolan was a handsome lovable fellow far superior to any man on the block.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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