as in loving
feeling or showing love
an affectionate child who gives hugs and kisses freely
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Recent Examples of affectionate
Still, during an April trip to San Francisco, Gregg was struck by the affectionate public displays of couples and the widespread use of rainbow flags.
—
Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Trump’s point man for Russia is the billionaire real-estate developer Steve Witkoff, whose bewilderingly affectionate approach to Putin continues to flummox the Western media.
—Andrew Ryvkin, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025
So Pasadena Humane took to Facebook to help Art find a better match for his affectionate and playful energy.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Constance listed all the ways in which Minna had taught her to be more forthright and thoughtful and affectionate.
—Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for affectionate
Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Trump’s point man for Russia is the billionaire real-estate developer Steve Witkoff, whose bewilderingly affectionate approach to Putin continues to flummox the Western media.
—Andrew Ryvkin, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025
So Pasadena Humane took to Facebook to help Art find a better match for his affectionate and playful energy.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Constance listed all the ways in which Minna had taught her to be more forthright and thoughtful and affectionate.
—Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for affectionate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectionate
Adjective
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All cats regardless of age deserve a safe and loving home.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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Additionally, researchers discovered that even when children are placed in safe and loving settings, like with responsive adoptive parents, some of them naturally shunned connection.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Chicharito also benefitted from his market placement in LA, in his case mainly due to the proximity to an adoring Mexican fanbase throughout Southern California.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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In some cases, like his calls to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, Mr. Trump has promised changes that many of his most adoring fans in Europe have stopped well short of.—
Jim Tankersley,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Affectionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectionate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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