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love

[ luhv ]

/ lʌv /

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See synonyms for: love / loved / loves / loving on Thesaurus.com

noun

a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

sexual passion or desire.

a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.

(used as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?

a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.

sexual intercourse; copulation.

Love, a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.

affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's neighbor.

strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.

the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.

the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.

Chiefly Tennis. a score of zero; nothing.

a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.

verb (used with object), loved, lov·ing.

to have love or affection for: All her students love her.

to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).

to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.

to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.

to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.

to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object), loved, lov·ing.

to have love or affection for another person; be in love.

Verb Phrases

love up, to hug and cuddle: She loves him up every chance she gets.

OTHER WORDS FOR love

1 tenderness, fondness, predilection, warmth, passion, adoration.

2 liking, inclination, regard, friendliness.

15 like.

16 adore, adulate, worship.

See synonyms for love on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR love

1, 2 hatred, dislike.

15, 16 detest, hate.

See antonyms for love on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR LOVE

Quotes On Love And Heartbreak

If you've ever experienced heartbreak, you'll understand these quotes.

MORE VIDEOS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about love

for love,

out of affection or liking; for pleasure.
without compensation: He volunteered at the animal shelter for love.

for the love of, in consideration of; for the sake of: For the love of mercy, stop that noise.

in love, infused with or feeling deep affection or passion: a youth always in love.

in love with, feeling deep affection or passion for (a person, idea, occupation, etc.); enamored of: in love with the girl next door;in love with one's work.

make love,

to embrace and kiss as lovers.
to engage in sexual activity.

no love lost, dislike; animosity: There was no love lost between the two brothers.

Origin of love

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun love, louve, luve, Old English lufu, cognate with Old Frisian luve, Old High German luba, Gothic lubō; verb derived from the noun; akin to Latin lubēre (later libēre ) “to be pleasing,” Slavic (Polish ) lubić “to like, enjoy,” see also lief

OTHER WORDS FROM love

outlove, verb (used with object), out·loved, out·lov·ing.o·ver·love, verb, o·ver·loved, o·ver·lov·ing.

Words nearby love

Louÿs, lovable, lovage, lovastatin, lovat, love, loveable, love affair, love apple, love arrows, love at first sight

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT LOVE

What is a basic definition of love?

Love is an intense, deep affection for another person. Love also means to feel this intense affection for someone. Love can also refer to a strong like for something or to like something a lot. Love has many other senses both as a verb and a noun.

It is difficult to explain what love is. Love is one of the most intense emotions humans feel in life. It is the opposite of hate, another incredibly intense emotion. When you would do anything for a specific person, that’s usually because you feel love for them.

There are many kinds of deep affection you can have for another person, and they can all be described as love. The love you feel for your parents won’t be the same love you feel for a close friend or a romantic partner. You can also have a strong emotional bond with an animal, such as your dog. That, too, is love.

Real-life examples: Spouses hopefully feel love toward each other. It is expected that a parent will have feelings of love for their child. Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love.
Used in a sentence: The man always helped his daughter out of love for her.

Love is used in this same sense to mean to feel love toward another person. People who romantically love each other are said to be “in love” and are called lovers. These terms generally imply romantic or sexual attraction.

Real-life examples: Romeo loved Juliet. Most parents love their children. A person often loves their boyfriend or girlfriend.
Used in a sentence: She loves her best friend like a sister.

Love is also used to refer to a less passionate, but still strong, fondness for something.

Real-life examples: Athletes have a love of sports. Readers have a love of books. Artists may have a love of painting, music, or drawing.
Used in a sentence: His love of Paris led him to take many trips to France.

In this sense, love can also be used to mean to really like something or someone. The word lover is used to mean a person who really likes something, as in a “dog lover” or a “food lover.”

Real-life examples: Cats love to chase things. Outgoing people love being around other people. Couch potatoes love television.
Used in a sentence: I love going to the zoo and seeing all the animals.

Where does love come from?

The first records of love come from before the 900s. The noun comes from the Old English word lufu, and the verb comes from the Old English lufian. Both of these words are related to older words for love, such as the Old Frisian luve and luvia.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to love?

lovely (adjective)
loveless (adjective)
loveable (adjective)
lovable (adjective)
loving (adjective, present tense verb)

What are some synonyms for love?

What are some words that share a root or word element with love?

What are some words that often get used in discussing love?

How is love used in real life?

Love is a very common word that people use to refer to others that they cherish or to things they really like.

I love my sister so much she’s my best friend 💕💞💘💓💗

— LV (@_lovee_lupe) November 25, 2020

I like how my friends send me random cat memes because they know how much I love cats❤️

— please tell me to go study (@mutale019) November 25, 2020

“I sustain myself with the love of family.” #MayaAngelou

— Maya Angelou (@DrMayaAngelou) November 29, 2020

Try using love!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of love?

A. affection
B. infatuation
C. desire
D. hate

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say love?

The noun love refers to a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. When should you use love in place of affection or devotion? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

How to use love in a sentence

Every now and again, we come across a love story that touches our hearts in more ways than be.
WNBA Player Maya Moore Marries Jonathan Irons, The Man She Helped Free From Prison|Jasmine Grant|September 17, 2020|Essence.com
Again, I didn’t think much of it as a 15-year-old, but I just had a love for food.
Tom Colicchio Hopes (and Fears) COVID-19 Will Change the Restaurant Industry|Pallabi Munsi|September 16, 2020|Ozy
Ideally you should be growing and evolving at similar rates and speeds for romantic love, I should say.
Get Gabrielle Union’s Best Career Advice|Joshua Eferighe|September 16, 2020|Ozy
She’d met me in 1986, at a party for returned Peace Corps volunteers and had fallen in love with the guy who’d just spent two years teaching in Swaziland.
What if Your Company Had No Rules? (Bonus Episode)|Maria Konnikova|September 12, 2020|Freakonomics

To be a real home cook, the kind who put love and attention into each dish, was to make everything yourself.
The Redemption of the Spice Blend|Jaya Saxena|September 10, 2020|Eater
What happened to true love knows no boundaries and all that?
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“I love my job and I love my city and I am committed to the work here,” he said in a statement.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And we have a lot of great guests this season: Greta Gerwig, Natasha Lyonne, Olivia Wilde, Steve Buscemi is back—I love that guy.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
You just travel light with carry-on luggage, go to cities that you love, and get to hang out with all your friends.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Terrorism is bad news anywhere, but especially rough on Odessa, where the city motto seems to be “make love, not war.”
Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?|Anna Nemtsova|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In this case, I suspect, there was co-operant a strongly marked childish characteristic, the love of producing an effect.
Children's Ways|James Sully
The well-known "cock and bull" stories of small children are inspired by this love of strong effect.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Women generally consider consequences in love, seldom in resentment.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
And as she hesitated between obedience to one and duty toward the other, her life, her love and future was in the balance.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Nothing but an extreme love of truth could have hindered me from concealing this part of my story.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift

British Dictionary definitions for love

love

/ (lʌv) /

verb

(tr) to have a great attachment to and affection for

(tr) to have passionate desire, longing, and feelings for

(tr) to like or desire (to do something) very much

(tr) to make love to

(intr) to be in love

noun

an intense emotion of affection, warmth, fondness, and regard towards a person or thing
(as modifier)love song; love story

a deep feeling of sexual attraction and desire

wholehearted liking for or pleasure in something

Christianity

God's benevolent attitude towards man
man's attitude of reverent devotion towards God

Also: my love a beloved person: used esp as an endearment

British informal a term of address, esp but not necessarily for a person regarded as likable

(in tennis, squash, etc) a score of zero

fall in love to become in love

for love without payment

for love or money (used with a negative) in any circumstancesI wouldn't eat a snail for love or money

for the love of for the sake of

in love in a state of strong emotional attachment and usually sexual attraction

make love

to have sexual intercourse (with)
archaic to engage in courtship (with)

Other words from love

Related adjective: amatory

Word Origin for love

Old English lufu; related to Old High German luba; compare also Latin libēre (originally lubēre) to please

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with love

love

In addition to the idioms beginning with love

love affair
love at first sight

also see:

all's fair in love and war
course of true love
fall in love
for the love of
labor of love
make love
misery loves company
no love lost
not for love or money
puppy love
somebody up there loves me

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.