lovable

adjective

lov·​able ˈlə-və-bəl 

variants or less commonly loveable

: having qualities that attract affection

the hero's lovable sidekick

—Terrence Rafferty

he's the gruff but lovable grandpa

—John Garrity

lovability

ˌlə-və-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

lovableness noun

lovably

ˈlə-və-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• adorable
• darling
• dear
• disarming
• endearing
• lovesome
• precious
• sweet
• winning
• winsome

Examples of lovable in a Sentence

He has a bad temper, but he's still lovable.

she was a lovable child, always helpful and kind

Recent Examples on the Web

The earnestness would be too much if Skink weren’t such a lovable weirdo, more often at work devising plots to foil greedy speculators and invasive vacationers—burning down a theme park, for instance—than lamenting his own futility. —Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025

Paul is lovable but gruff, while Jimmy is lost and a bit broken after having lost his wife in a drunk driving accident. —Hedy Phillips, People.com, 2 May 2025

Luck is the scion of the football program, a lovable nerd who happened to be the best quarterback in football, aka the perfect Stanford athletics niche: smart and good. —Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 May 2025

Cooper’s performance as a sweet, lovable bookworm is among his most endearing turns. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lovable

• loveable
• unlovable

Kids Definition

lovable

adjective

lov·​able

variants also loveable

ˈləv-ə-bəl 

: having qualities that tend to make one loved

lovableness noun

lovably

-blē 

adverb