love

¹love

noun \ˈləv\

Definition of LOVE

1

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>

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

: a god or personification of love

6

: an amorous episode : love affair

7

: the sexual embrace : copulation

8

: a score of zero (as in tennis)

9

capitalized Christian Science : god

— at love

: holding one's opponent scoreless in tennis

— in love

: inspired by affection

Examples of LOVE

1. Children need unconditional love from their parents.
2. He was just a lonely man looking for love.
3. 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
4. … 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
5. 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
6. 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

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

Related Words: appetite, fancy, favor, like, liking, partiality, preference, relish, taste; craving, crush, desire, infatuation, longing, lust, yearning; ardor, eagerness, enthusiasm, fervor, zeal; appreciation, esteem, estimation, regard, respect; adoration, adulation, deification, idolatry, idolization, worship; allegiance, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, steadfastness

Near Antonyms: allergy, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, disfavor, dislike, enmity, hostility; abhorrence, disgust, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; misanthropy

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Forms of Address Terms

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

Rhymes with LOVE

dove, glove, of, shove