beloved 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈləvd How to pronounce beloved (audio)
Definition of belovednext
as in loved
granted special treatment or attention her beloved cat sleeps in its own little bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

beloved

2 of 2

noun

as in darling
a person with whom one is in love searching for some incredibly romantic spot in which to ask his beloved to marry him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 beloved
Adjective
Just as fiercely loyal as Amanda, Martin vainly advocates for his beloved, knowing that Amanda has power of attorney and, therefore, the upper hand. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026 Her upcoming book, which holds the same title, is in conversation with some of her other beloved works. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
Travis jumped in on his turn on stage with his beloved on her Eras tours. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 July 2026 But in Faiz’s poem, the union with the beloved also contains an acute awareness of mortality and the transience of beauty – a recognition of what has been lost, and the suffering still to come. — Krupa Shandilya, The Conversation, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for beloved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beloved
  1. loved
  2. darling
  3. cherished
  4. sweetheart
  5. favorite
  6. dear
  7. precious
  8. lover
Adjective
  • The entire team at Public Health extends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones during this difficult time.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Hall died Tuesday in Dallas surrounded by her loved ones, her family announced Wednesday in a statement.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of loved
Noun
  • Meta isn't exactly a Wall Street darling at the moment either, as the stock fell 14% in October for its worst month since October 2022.
    — Ari Levy, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Once a darling of the city’s liberal elite, the Los Angeles mayor is facing a challenge from a younger progressive who has friends of her own in the entertainment industry.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of darling
Adjective
  • But over time, some music acts have become cherished regulars that can be reliably found on certain nights.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Kintsugi can breathe new life into cherished old items, but they should be removed from food service.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of cherished
Noun
  • Companies that took money from the president’s family or got sweetheart government contracts are going to face real scrutiny.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Goebbels interviewed Wessel’s grieving mother and wrote of Jaenichen and Wessel as childhood sweethearts, as though their story was from romance fiction.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of sweetheart
Adjective
  • This week’s matchup doesn’t offer much more appeal as Jacksonville should be a sizable favorite, and while Tennessee has been more competitive than its 1-7 record suggests, Strange remains a streaming option at best.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
  • My favorite aspect was the room's second king bed, which was encased in walls of glass and featured a full glass ceiling for stargazing long into the night.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of favorite
Noun
  • The Australian actress has worked with a number of directors who the French hold dear including Stanley Kubrick, Jane Campion, Lars von Trier, Baz Luhrmann, and Yorgos Lanthimos, among many others.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Whether these ads were meant to imply that clutching and shifting was too physical for women, too unladylike, or just too complex for the little dears is not clear.
    — Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of dear
Adjective
  • Like Voto, the jeweler is about giving new life to a precious past.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Gold smuggled out of conflict zones, Russia or African countries accounted for 42% of the UAE's total imports of the precious metal in 2024, the report says.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026
Definition of precious
Noun
  • But only recently has America’s Finest City emerged as a culinary mecca where savvy food lovers come in search of their next great meal.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
  • As holiday season approaches, the TIME team has pulled out a selection of 10 best game and play items from the list that would make a perfect gift for the parents, little ones, and fun-lovers in your life.
    — TIME Staff, Time, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of lover

Browse Nearby Words

belongs
beloved
beloveds
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beloved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beloved. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All