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Synonym Chooser

How is the word affection distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of affection are emotion, feeling, passion, and sentiment. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How are the words emotion and feeling related as synonyms of affection?

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

When is feeling a more appropriate choice than affection?

Although the words feeling and affection have much in common, 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

In what contexts can passion take the place of affection?

The meanings of passion and affection largely overlap; however, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

When would sentiment be a good substitute for affection?

In some situations, the words sentiment and affection are roughly equivalent. However, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of affection Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber weren’t shy about showing their affection at a Los Angeles listening party celebrating the singer’s new album, Swag. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 27 July 2025 In the season’s ninth episode, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is trying her best to balance her writing ambitions with her affection for Aidan (John Corbett). Daniel D'addario, Variety, 25 July 2025 Meloy gives an account of their culture, their affections for one another, even their conflicts. The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025 Embracing private relationships, then, is partly Gen Z’s way of rejecting the suffocating pressures of perfection and returning to the value of real-life displays of affection. Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 22 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for affection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affection
Noun
  • The Residency program will find the artists spreading the love across multiple channels — from music to sports and talk — via performances, interviews, Guest DJ slots and takeovers.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The soul song released in 1972 conveys the sense of loss that comes with unreturned love.
    Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The mosquitoes that spread the disease have developed immunity to some of the insecticides that have previously helped reduce the spread, Bier said in an interview.
    Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
  • The major preventable drivers for liver cancer include Hepatitis B and C, alcohol and liver diseases associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
    Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • However, instead of removing the minerals from the water, these devices make the minerals soluble in the water.
    Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2025
  • However, these incidents underscore the importance of regularly updating your devices to stay protected against evolving threats.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Small-Cap Parallel Even in developed markets, small-cap stocks share many of the same characteristics as emerging economies.
    Jay Mehta, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Improbably, Netanyahu seems to have forgotten the most critical characteristic of the Jewish faith: the sanctity of life.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • His efforts, Suzuki added, required utter and total devotion.
    Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 28 July 2025
  • But the obvious calculation behind this move illustrated the desperation of so many anonymous black showbiz performers (such as those who were paid to promote the Kamala Harris campaign) who eagerly demonstrate an unshakeable loyalty to the post-FDR legacy of Democratic Party devotion.
    Armond White, National Review, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • She's battled many illnesses, but her health is much better now, and the disease is undetectable.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Qualifying conditions are narrowly defined to include treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, substance use disorder, and terminal illness.
    Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Our inclination might be to freeze event planning and ride out the storm, but history shows that innovation thrives in adversity.
    Shawn Pierce, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket arced downrange over the Atlantic Ocean, heading northeast to place its payload into the Kuiper constellation at an inclination of 51.9 degrees to the equator.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • See air quality in your area See the live map below to track air quality in your area.
    Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 25 July 2025
  • Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Affection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affection. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on affection

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