lover

noun

lov·​er ˈlə-vər 

1

a

: a person in love

b

lovers plural : two persons in love with each other

2

: an affectionate or benevolent friend

3

: devotee

a lover of mystery novels

a lover of nature

4

a

: paramour

Her husband found a love letter from her lover.

b

: a person with whom one has sexual relations

He was her first lover.

Synonyms of lover

• fan
• sucker
• enthusiast
• fanatic
• admirer

Examples of lover in a Sentence

His wife accused him of having a secret lover.

She left her husband and ran away with her lover.

Recent Examples on the Web

For now, that seems to be enough to make Dallas bagel lovers salivate. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026

Ofland’s friendly staff are nature lovers at heart and hope to make the surrounding area accessible and welcoming for guests. —Jenny Willden, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026

The event draws thousands of book lovers each year and offers more than 500,000 books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl records and magazines. —Moran Elwell, Oklahoman, 25 Jan. 2026

Burger lovers should go for the SnackBurger, a towering composition featuring crispy potato straws and a tonkatsu sauce that could easily rival some of Birmingham’s best. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing lover

• lover boy
• secret lover
• true lover's knot

Rhymes for lover

• cover
• hover
• plover
• discover
• hardcover
• recover
• thereover
• uncover
• rediscover
• undercover

Kids Definition

lover

noun

lov·​er ˈləv-ər 

1

a

: a person in love

b

plural : two persons in love with each other

2

: devotee

a lover of music

3

a

: paramour

b

: a person with whom one has sexual relations

Biographical Definition

Lover

biographical name

Lov·​er ˈlə-vər 

Samuel 1797–1868 Irish novelist