Thesaurus

affection

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of affection

1 a feeling of strong or constant regard for and dedication to someone

an elderly couple showing their affection for each other by little acts of kindness

Synonyms of affection

attachment, devotedness, devotion, fondness, love, passion

Words Related to affection

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 of affection

allergy, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, disfavor, dislike, enmity, hostility

abhorrence, disgust, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion

Antonyms of affection

abomination, hate, hatred, loathing, rancor

2 an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning

born with a heart affection that later caused him problems

Synonyms of affection

ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition, disease, disorder, distemper, distemperature, fever, ill, illness, infirmity, malady, sickness, trouble

Words Related to affection

contagion, contagious disease

contagium, infection

attack, bout, fit, spell

debility, decrepitude, feebleness, frailness, lameness, sickliness, unhealthiness, unsoundness, unwellness, weakness

malaise, matter, pip

epidemic, pest, pestilence, plague

Near Antonyms of affection

fitness, healthiness, heartiness, robustness, soundness, wholeness, wholesomeness

Antonyms of affection

health, wellness

3 a habitual attraction to some activity or thing

I'm rooting for the Cubs—just my natural affection for the underdog, I guess

Synonyms of affection

affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn

Words Related to affection

favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice

endowment, faculty, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent

addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste

forte, speciality, specialty

convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), routine, trick, way, wont

eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity

Near Antonyms of affection

allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste

detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity

apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

4 something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind

religion, of one kind or another, is an affection common to every society known to have existed

Synonyms of affection

attribute, attribution, character, characteristic, criterion, diagnostic, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, touch, trait

Words Related to affection

badge, indication, sign

emblem, symbol, token

excellence, merit, virtue

eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, quirk

individuality, singularity, uniqueness

Synonym Discussion of affection

feeling, emotion, affection, sentiment, passion mean a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation. feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

- the feelings that once moved me are gone

emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

- the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

- a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

- her feminist sentiments are well known

passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

- revenge became his ruling passion

Learn More about affection

See words that rhyme with affection Dictionary: Definition of affection Medical Dictionary: Definition of affection Spanish Central: Translation of affection Nglish: Translation of affection for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of affection for Arabic speakers

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