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

• fan
• sucker
• enthusiast
• fanatic

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

That the topless king was pictured beside his married lover, Wallis Simpson, only added to the growing scandal. —JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2025

Meet fellow caffeine lovers, sample local roasts and learn from Cincinnati's supreme latte artists. —Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Oct. 2025

Rally your friends, family members and fellow cat lovers to vote for your favorites and zero in on a winner. —Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2025

WalletHub also ranked the top destinations for baseball lovers by size — defining large cities as those with more than 300,000 people, midsize cities as those with 100,000 to 300,000 residents and small cities as those with fewer than 100,000 people. —Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025

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