amorous

adjective am·o·rous \ ˈa-mə-rəs , ˈam-rəs \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of amorous

1 : strongly moved by love and especially sexual love

amorous couples

2 : being in love : enamored —usually used with of

amorous of the girl

3 a : indicative of love

received amorous glances from her partner

b : of or relating to love

an amorous novel

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amorously

adverb

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amorousness

noun

See amorous defined for English-language learners

See amorous defined for kids

Examples of amorous in a Sentence

Vickers has now turned his formidable powers to "A Lover's Complaint". This 329-line amorous oration was published with the Sonnets in 1609, though it is probably little read even by those for whom the sonnets are a form of poetic oxygen. —Harold Love, Times Literary Supplement, 6 July 2007
The first commercial valentines were produced in the U.S. in 1834 by one Robert H. Elton, and the custom of sending greeting cards with amorous messages has persisted. —Phillip Lopate, Wigwag, February 1990
His amorous affairs he flaunted as if they were masterpieces, and he invited his marital partner to share in the esthetic experience. —John Updike, New York Times Book Review, 29 Mar. 1987
He has an amorous nature.
male birds engage in amorous behavior—nest-building, singing, showing off their finery—in order to attract females

Recent Examples of amorous from the Web

While scholars agree about the radical nature of her late spiritual poems, there are questions regarding the amorous verse.

— cammy brothers, WSJ, "‘Renaissance Woman’ Review: A Lady of Letters," 27 Apr. 2018
Unfortunately, Brea and John's amorous buzz is killed when, later that night, Darren and Malia show up earlier than planned, an awkward arrival that brings out Darren's uglier side and causes a brief rupture among the foursome.

— gary goldstein, latimes.com, "Paula Patton stars in the surprisingly effective thriller 'Traffik'," 20 Apr. 2018
Markle isn’t the first to experience the amorous powers of roast chicken.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "I Made Meghan Markle’s Engagement Chicken and Now I’m in Love," 13 Apr. 2018
At one point, countertenor Charles Humphries (a capable replacement for Robin Blaze) donned a petticoat and smeared lipstick on his mouth to play the rustic Mopsa, spurning Brook’s amorous Coridon in a hilarious duet.

— zoë madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Handel and Haydn ‘Fairy Queen’ is delightful," 7 Apr. 2018
During the dry season, the forest is a refuge for amorous elephants who come in from the plains nearby to breed.

— The Economist, "How illegal charcoal fuels war and harms the environment," 28 Mar. 2018
The secluded nature of the cavern may bring out an amorous nature.

— scott craven, azcentral, "Grand Canyon Caverns: Arizona's deepest, darkest hotel room," 5 Mar. 2018
If that's the case, and this sort of text gets your heart racing in an amorous way, good on you.

— lodro rinzler, Marie Claire, "Deciphering His Vague, Confusing, Off-Putting and Totally Awkward Text Messages," 3 Jan. 2014
But military officials and parade organizers are hoping to curb amorous paradegoers this year.

— mercedes leguizamon and saeed ahmed, CNN, "Savannah tells its St. Patrick's Day parade watchers to stop smooching soldiers," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amorous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

A couple smooching on a park bench could be called amorous, or a young married couple who are always hugging and kissing. But the word is often used a bit sarcastically, as when a tabloid newspaper gets hold of some scandalous photos and calls the participants "the amorous pair". In such cases, we may be encouraged to think the attraction is more physical than emotional.