as in loving
feeling or showing love
an affectionate child who gives hugs and kisses freely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 affectionate
Staffies are now described by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as being hugely affectionate towards family and great with young children, with high intelligence, patience, and energy.
—
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
The Denver Zoo shared a few snaps of the affectionate duo — the only two females in their habitat — in a post on Facebook.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
Romance will be affectionate, memorable and reassuring.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
Denise – scrappy, sarcastic, and clever – at first was hostile towards Steven, but that passionate annoyance later evolved into teasing, affectionate companionship.
—Sarah John, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affectionate
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
The Denver Zoo shared a few snaps of the affectionate duo — the only two females in their habitat — in a post on Facebook.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
Romance will be affectionate, memorable and reassuring.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
Denise – scrappy, sarcastic, and clever – at first was hostile towards Steven, but that passionate annoyance later evolved into teasing, affectionate companionship.
—Sarah John, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affectionate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affectionate
Adjective
-
And Wasmer’s family was known in the small town as kind and loving.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Amidst their weirdness is a loving and loyal family completely comfortable in the dark world that is perfectly natural to them.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Patriots’ pass coverage without Christian Gonzalez, their atrocious inside linebacker play and roller-coaster special teams, which give any adoring fan a heart attack at a moment’s notice.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Affectionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affectionate. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share