loving
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
The family of a man who died after getting into difficulty in a lake in Nottinghamshire during recent hot weather have paid tribute to a "loving person".
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Heat loving amoebae may be able to survive and spread in regions where they were once uncommon, increasing the chance of human exposure.
From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026
“From family and friends to fans and complete strangers, thank you for showing up for us. Thank you for loving our family so well,” their post concluded.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Rarely can one film feel so observant of how our memories of a person and a time can change in the space between loving them and losing them.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
And if she does, I know she’ll end up loving it, as much as I love being here.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
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.
