love Hear it!

Jump To: synonymsSynonyms · examplesUsage Examples · linkLink/Cite
Also found in: idiomsAH Idiom Dictionary
love definition

love (luv)

noun

  1. a deep and tender feeling of affection for or attachment or devotion to a person or persons
  2. an expression of one's love or affection give Mary my love
  3. a feeling of brotherhood and good will toward other people
    1. strong liking for or interest in something a love of music
    2. the object of such liking
    1. a strong, usually passionate, affection of one person for another, based in part on sexual attraction
    2. the person who is the object of such an affection; sweetheart; lover
    1. sexual passion
    2. sexual intercourse

  7. Etymology: < phr. play for love, i.e., play for nothing

    Tennis a score of zero
  8. Theol.
    1. God's tender regard and concern for all human beings
    2. devotion to and desire for God as the supreme good, that all human beings have
  9. Myth.
    1. Cupid, or Eros, as the god of love
    2. Rare Venus

Etymology: ME < OE lufu, akin to OHG luba, Goth lubo < IE base *leubh-, to be fond of, desire > libido, lief, lust

transitive verb loved, loving lov′·ing

  1. to feel love for
  2. to show love for by embracing, fondling, kissing, etc.
  3. to delight in; take pleasure in to love books
  4. to gain benefit from a plant that loves shade

intransitive verb

to feel the emotion of love; be in love
love Idioms

fall in love (with)

to begin to feel love (for)

for love

as a favor or for pleasure; without payment

for the love of

for the sake of; with loving regard for

in love

feeling love; enamored

make love

  1. to woo or embrace, kiss, etc. as lovers do
  2. to have sexual intercourse

no love lost between

no liking or affection existing between

not for love or money

not under any conditions

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms love idiom

love Synonyms

love

n.

  1. Passionate and tender devotion

    affection, attachment, devotion, infatuation, passion, tenderness, tender passion, fondness, adoration, yearning, flame, rapture, enchantment, ardor, emotion, sentiment, amorousness, free love, enjoyment, cherishing, devotedness, worship, desire, fancy, weakness, amativeness, Eros, Cupid, Amor, Venus, Aphrodite, Kama, crush*, puppy love*, calf love*; see also affection 1, desire 3.

    Antonyms hate*, aversion*, antipathy. *

  2. Affection based on esteem

    respect, regard, appreciation; see admiration.

  3. A lively and enduring interest

    relish, predilection, penchant, passion; see affection 1, inclination 1, zest 1.

  4. A beloved

    dear one, loved one, cherished one; see lover 1.

love implies intense fondness or deep devotion and may apply to various relationships or objects sexual love, brotherly love, love of one's work; affection suggests warm, tender feelings, usually not as powerful or deep as those implied by lovehe has no affection for children; attachment implies connection by ties of affection, attraction, devotion, etc. and may be felt for inanimate things as well as for people an attachment to an old hat; infatuation implies a foolish or unreasoning passion or affection, often a transient one an elderly man's infatuation for a young girl

fall in love (with)

begin to feel love, adore, be infatuated.

for love

as a favor, voluntarily, without payment; see freely 2.

for the love of

for the sake of, with fond concern for, because of; see for.

in love

enamored, infatuated, smitten, besotted; see loving.

make love

fondle, embrace, caress; see love (v.) 2.

not for love or money

under no conditions, by no means, no; see never.

with no love lost between

unkindly, vengefully, full of dislike; see angrily.


love

v.

  1. To be passionately devoted

    adore, be in love with, care for, delight in, hold dear, choose, fancy, venerate, be enchanted by, be passionately attached to, have affection for, be enamored of, dote on, glorify, exalt, idolize, prize, put on a pedestal, hold in affection, deify, be fascinated by, hold high, canonize, think the world of, treasure, prefer, yearn for, esteem, be captivated by, be enraptured by, lose one's heart to, be fond of, admire, long for, be oneself with, thrive with, flip over*, fall for*, be nuts about*, be crazy about*, go for*, have it bad*, cotton to*; see also cherish 1, like 2.

    Antonyms hate*, detest*, loathe. *

  2. To express love by caresses

    cherish, fondle, make love, make much of, feast one's eyes on, embrace, cling to, clasp, hug, take into one's arms, hold, pet, soothe, stroke, encircle with one's arms, press to the heart, draw close, remain near to, bring to one's side, look tenderly at, look deeply into one's eyes, chase after*, make a play for*, shine up to*, neck*, make out*, love up*, make it*; see also caress, copulate, kiss.

    Antonyms exclude, spurn, refuse.

  3. To possess a deep and abiding interest

    enjoy, delight in, relish; see admire 1, like 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

love Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • forbid: His final poem is about forbidden love but he is too ill to write it down.

Preposition: at

  • sight: Q: Do you believe in love at first sight?

Adjective modifier

  • unconditional: Such people eventually succeed, sometimes through persistence, but often through the unconditional love and support of others.

Modifies a noun

  • affair: Meets Vita Sackville-West with whom she has a brief love affair.

Noun used with modifier

  • toddlers': The Loopy Links Garden and Loopy Links Zoo support toddlers' love of linking and feature boldly colored and patterned loops with magnetic snap closures.

Infinitive complement

  • hear: We love to hear your feedback - let us know your views.
love usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"love." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/love>

APA Style

love. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/love

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment