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
Through a series of cinematic contrivances, Tess borrows Katharine’s skirt suit, claims due credit for her business sense, and wins the affections of Katharine’s financier boyfriend (Harrison Ford).
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Over the course of the season, Chantal grows frustrated with her needy fiancé and begins falling for Jordie, who has harbored feelings for Delilah for years, but seemingly moves on and reciprocates Chantal’s affections.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 11 June 2026
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
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Over the course of the season, Chantal grows frustrated with her needy fiancé and begins falling for Jordie, who has harbored feelings for Delilah for years, but seemingly moves on and reciprocates Chantal’s affections.
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 11 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affections
Noun
-
Helping locals find their passions Though its patrons come from beyond Hollywood — Miami Shores, North Miami, Miramar, Fort Lauderdale, even Boca Raton — Champagne Shack is all about the locals.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Yet, her art endures and embodies the contradictions and passions that defined her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The active season for tick diseases is also expanding.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
An investigation revealed that the horse was suffering from multiple diseases and was a decade older than his driver had initially reported, according to the organization.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 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
-
Laboratory evaluations indicate specific performance characteristics under varied operational environments.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
-
Louise Cottar believes this cultural connection is one of the defining characteristics of the camp.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Raw dairy, his farm has claimed, could cure, treat or prevent myriad diseases and ailments, from diabetes and ear infections to allergies, eczema and arthritis.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Vivi Sanchez Salinas with MiSalud, a nonprofit that contracts with farms to offer counseling services, said the stress of potential immigration enforcement may hamper productivity and show up in the form of physical ailments, for example, trouble sleeping, stomach issues and headaches.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The same cognitive tendencies that make retirement savings difficult also make preventive medicine difficult.—
Jeffrey Wessler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Similarly, the defense seeks to admit evidence of Gormley’s violent tendencies, most of which come in the form of disturbing videos off of his social media pages.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
But for all his noble qualities, my dad was a horrible golfer.—
John Dunlap,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2026
-
And importantly, philanthropy is only one way to develop those qualities.—
Kris Putnam-Walkerly,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
As of June 18, one death was linked to the cheese products, in addition to eight hospitalizations and nine illnesses, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall report.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
But these few species are devastating, causing some 700 million illnesses and 1 million deaths globally each year due to infections like malaria, dengue fever, Zika and West Nile virus.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affections.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affections. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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