lovable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
What you will find are the lovable supporting actors of the meat world: skirt steak, pork riblets, chuck roast, spicy sausage, the occasional coil of chorizo.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Steve Carell’s character in the likable, watchable and even lovable “Rooster” is classic Steve Carell: Self-aware, charming, boyish, incapable of reading a room, sidestepping a faux pas or calculating nuance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
For all of the film’s expository merit, for all of the care and efficiency Hughes exhibited in creating such wonderful and instantly lovable women, “Pretty in Pink” flubs the landing.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026
Writing on Instagram, Swift described Norton as an "insanely charismatic and lovable host", adding that she felt "ridiculously lucky" to have been paired with the other guests that night.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
But everything that had happened before paled in comparison to this because there was so much more to lose now: Flora and her round and lovable head.
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
