loving
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of loving
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lovyng; replacing Middle English lovende, Old English lufiende; see love, -ing 2
Explanation
Someone loving is affectionate and caring. Your loving grandmother might be your favorite grandparent because she clearly adores you. You can be a loving sister or a loving babysitter, and you can also describe kind things you do as loving, like the loving hug you give your sad friend or your uncle's loving gesture of sending your aunt flowers on her birthday. The adjective loving comes from the Old English lufian, "to love or approve," from the 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.
Don’t just write, “Bob was a loving dad.”
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
But the consequence would be a massive disruption of stable, loving families, as countless parents are told that they have no legal claim as parents to their own kids.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
Kol has been described by officers who investigated the case as a "cheeky and very loving" little boy, who adored his mother and older siblings.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
It is loving to let someone go so they can live their life in peace and free of judgment, and even find someone else whose version of an ideal life more closely matches theirs.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
She must be loving it up in heaven, where I figure everybody must just let loose.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
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.
