- present participle of love.
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.
The family described Barrios Ventura as a loving mother and said her absence was deeply felt by all who knew her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants, she grew up on Long Island loving math, and always anticipated a career in academia or as a scientist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
If I was mortified just to breathe, how could I even think about loving another man?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The royal family has always been sport loving but football has never been their thing.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
George’s things include loving words, loving family, loving nature, and some stuff about being a lawyer.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
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.
