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¹love

noun \ˈləv\

: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person

: attraction that includes sexual desire : the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship

: a person you love in a romantic way

Full Definition of LOVE

a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties <maternal love for a child> (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests <love for his old schoolmates>

b : an assurance of affection <give her my love>

: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion <love of the sea>

a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration <baseball was his first love>

b (1) : a beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British —used as an informal term of address

a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others

b : a person's adoration of God

: a god or personification of love

: an amorous episode : love affair

: the sexual embrace : copulation

: a score of zero (as in tennis)

capitalized Christian Science : god

— at love

: holding one's opponent scoreless in tennis

— in love

: inspired by affection

See love defined for English-language learners

See love defined for kids

Examples of LOVE

Mr. Brown seems to imply that when he retired he relinquished her love as casually as he dispensed with her secretarial services. —Ken Follett, New York Times Book Review, 27 Dec. 1987
… Eddie sees Vince's pure love of pool, and after years of thinking of the game as merely a hustle, the older man suddenly falls back in love with the game himself. —Maureen Dowd, New York Times Magazine, 28 Sept. 1986
Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly, so appealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her old trembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before she was through. —Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876
Allworthy thus answered: “… I have always thought love the only foundation of happiness in a married state, as it can only produce that high and tender friendship which should always be the cement of this union …” —Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749
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Origin of LOVE

Middle English, from Old English lufu; akin to Old High German luba love, Old English lēof dear, Latin lubēre, libēre to please

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to LOVE

Synonyms: affection, attachment, devotedness, devotion, fondness, passion

Antonyms: abomination, hate, hatred, loathing, rancor

Other Forms of Address Terms

appellation, beatitude, brethren, emeritus, esquire, sire, sous

Rhymes with LOVE

dove, glove, of, shove

²love

verb \ˈləv\

: to feel great affection for (someone) : to feel love for (someone)

: to feel sexual or romantic love for (someone)

: to like or desire (something) very much : to take great pleasure in (something)

lovedlov·ing

Full Definition of LOVE

transitive verb

: to hold dear : cherish

a : to feel a lover's passion, devotion, or tenderness for

b (1) : caress (2) : to fondle amorously (3) : to copulate with

: to like or desire actively : take pleasure in <loved to play the violin>

: to thrive in <the rose loves sunlight>

intransitive verb

: to feel affection or experience desire

See love defined for English-language learners

Examples of LOVE

People loved him for his brashness and talent, his crazy manglings of the English language, his brawling, boyish antics … and I loved him, too, I loved him as much as anyone in the world. —Paul Auster, Granta, Winter 1994
Lying awake, listening to the sound of his father's breathing, he knew there was no one in the world he loved so much. —William Maxwell, New Yorker, 15 May 1989
I love either rushing off into abstractions, or shamelessly talking personalities. —Elizabeth Bowen, letter, 28 Apr. 1923
“Nay,” said Elizabeth, “this is not fair. You wish to think all the world respectable, and are hurt if I speak ill of any body. I only want to think you perfect, and you set yourself against it. Do not be afraid of my running into any excess, of my encroaching on your privilege of universal good will. You need not. There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well.” —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813
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Origin of LOVE

(see ¹love)

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to LOVE

Synonyms: appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value, set store by (or set store on), carry a torch for (or carry the torch for), fall for, lose one's heart (to)