1
as in passions
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 & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in diseases
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 & Similar Words
3
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
I'm rooting for the Cubs—just my natural affection for the underdog, I guess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in characteristics
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 & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affections
Weapons Oscar winner Amy Madigan popped up early on in the procedural’s run, appearing in a pair of season 2 episodes as Jane, a troubled woman who became the subject of serial killer Frank Breitkopf’s (Keith Carradine) twisted affections.
—
Rachel Labonte, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
How can a plotline about a man (Michael Johnston) who wishes upon a magical toy branch for the unrequited love of his life (Indie Navarrette) to return his affections not involve some blood?
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The atmosphere in the house is always quiet, neat and calm — even when the housemates are upset that their crush’s affections are unreturned.
—Sarah Wang, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
And then there is Gomes, one of very few Wolves players to have retained the affections of supporters during a depressing decline for the club.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 12 May 2026
The film provides further complexity by not making Bear a sympathetic victim but rather complicit by initially enjoying Nikki’s affections despite their artificial provenance.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 May 2026
That’s because his job is to understand the thought processes, emotions, and affections of Japanese and Americans alike.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
Alienation of affections was largely recognized in the 1800s as a tort for when a female spouse was whisked away from her husband by a third party.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
But anyone willing to consider the thicket of fears, affections and recriminations that grows through the cracks of a long relationship will find in these pages an almost unbearable tenderness.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Rachel Labonte, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
How can a plotline about a man (Michael Johnston) who wishes upon a magical toy branch for the unrequited love of his life (Indie Navarrette) to return his affections not involve some blood?
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The atmosphere in the house is always quiet, neat and calm — even when the housemates are upset that their crush’s affections are unreturned.
—Sarah Wang, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
And then there is Gomes, one of very few Wolves players to have retained the affections of supporters during a depressing decline for the club.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 12 May 2026
The film provides further complexity by not making Bear a sympathetic victim but rather complicit by initially enjoying Nikki’s affections despite their artificial provenance.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 May 2026
That’s because his job is to understand the thought processes, emotions, and affections of Japanese and Americans alike.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
Alienation of affections was largely recognized in the 1800s as a tort for when a female spouse was whisked away from her husband by a third party.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
But anyone willing to consider the thicket of fears, affections and recriminations that grows through the cracks of a long relationship will find in these pages an almost unbearable tenderness.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affections
Noun
-
Teixeira’s surge into international reflects a sea-change on independent cinema finance and his own personal passions, Teixeira confessed at ECAM Forum.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Pidgeon herself had also made that move to New York, working odd jobs in pursuit of her passions.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Any time people from around the world gather together, the risk of certain diseases goes up.—
Alice Park,
Time,
12 June 2026
-
Water shortages, limited hygiene and extreme heat and humidity continue to accelerate the spread of these diseases.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
There were inclinations to not fully believe in their capabilities against Argentina.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
-
Born to a humble family in the twilight years of the shogunate, Higuchi Natsuko (as she was born) was the fourth child and second daughter of a man with scholarly inclinations, who as a farmer had come to the capital to seek both fortune and rank.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
That creative industry may ultimately become one of LA28's defining characteristics.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Garbett adds other characteristics too.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
While every ceremonial facilitator has their own unique way of preparing ayahuasca, most often two plants are brewed together (caapi vine and chacruna leaves) to create the highly powerful, transportive substance that can be used to treat physical and mental ailments.—
Michaela Trimble,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Tabbed a Colts starter as a rookie, hamstring and quadriceps ailments shut him down halfway through that initial professional campaign.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
These tendencies, if not balanced by Humility and Collaboration, can undermine both their own well-being and the collective efforts of their team.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Lee’s philosophical tendencies are different from what White ran under Billy Donovan for six years.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Passion and commitment are important leadership qualities.—
Kendra MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
But what if people have qualities both unmistakably human and essential to career success that AI could not easily replace them?—
Cathy Bussewitz,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Officials with Connecticut’s mosquito management program are hard at work setting up traps and collecting mosquitoes for the presence of viruses that can cause illnesses in people, including West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Rats transmit diseases through urine and waste, causing fever and other illnesses.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affections.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affections. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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