love 1 of 2

verb

ˈləv How to pronounce love (audio)
Definition of lovenext
1
as in to adore
to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for a husband who loves his wife more than anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to treasure
to hold dear patriots who loved their country well enough to die for it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to enjoy
to take pleasure in I love playing Frisbee in the summer rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to caress
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner the baby responded to my caresses and kisses by loving me right back

Synonyms & Similar Words

love

2 of 2

noun

ˈləv How to pronounce love (audio)
1
as in affection
a feeling of strong or constant regard for and dedication to someone her love for her children was truly selfless

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in darling
a person with whom one is in love she is the love of my life

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in liking
positive regard for something a love of chocolate, which I will pay anything to indulge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in affair
a brief romantic relationship he refused to discuss past loves

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 love
Verb
The workshop model—love it or hate it—puts a writer and their work in front of the audience of their peers; if those peers are both generous and honest in their reading and commentary, the writer might benefit from their insights. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 The most at risk during this outbreak are the vulnerable people who can’t be vaccinated, and those who love them. — Katie Lockwood, STAT, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
Transplanting Sarah Waters’s shape-shifting sapphic love story Fingersmith from Victorian England to Korea under Japanese occupation in the 20th century was a stroke of genius on the part of Park Chan-wook. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026 Wagner also hopes her daughters inherit her love of local festivals and community traditions. — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for love
Recent Examples of Synonyms for love
  1. adore
  2. treasure
  3. enjoy
  4. caress
  5. affection
  6. darling
  7. liking
  8. affair
Verb
  • Moments later, an unbothered Brown flung himself around the stadium, catering directly to his adoring, unwavering fans.
    — Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • On the sweet side, several of our editors adore Coop’s dessert sauces, which far exceed the usual grocery store stuff.
    — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of adore
Verb
  • Nana’s famous apple pie recipe deserves to be passed on, so this personalized board is a sweet gift for the family cook who treasures old traditions.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The fantasy Kris treasured as a fan means something very different to the woman who lived it.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of treasure
Verb
  • Just a day earlier, he’d been spotted enjoying a pre-birthday dinner at Mamo in Manhattan, wrapped in a chestnut-brown fringed shawl that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Sienna Miller’s fall wardrobe.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The Dolphins had run 293 offensive snaps and not enjoyed an advantage at any point in any of them.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of enjoy
Verb
  • The most sensual scene in the movie is actually a dance number at a public gathering where the two characters slowly sway and caress each other, much to the horror and confusion of the other townsfolk.
    — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • As if that same sea that caresses the feet of the palms were doing it now in Tokyo, in your house.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of caress
Noun
  • In Idaho, Risch ‘found the right place’ Risch’s affection for Idaho dates back more than six decades.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Five years earlier my brother had gotten married, leaving me home alone without the buffers of his distracted affection, his big brotherly insouciance, his rebellious indifference to the emotional chasm widening between our parents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of affection
Noun
  • Today, the Mexico City GP is recognized as one of the Formula 1 circuit’s intercontinental darlings.
    — Alan Chazaro, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps these Brewers aren’t some small-market darling, after all.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of darling
Noun
  • Beige is a bit too basic for our liking, whereas camel brings cozy warmth and chic sophistication with its golden-brown undertones.
    — InStyle, InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Anyone who’s had a game console and played Madden has arranged depth charts to their liking and made game-management decisions to feel like a head coach.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of liking
Noun
  • The Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings weren’t going to re-create double-overtime playoff moments from the early 2010s on Tuesday, but the game was still an entertaining affair.
    — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The bump in costs comes as family caregivers take on more care and more complicated medical responsibilities at home, says Megan O'Reilly, vice president of governmental affairs at AARP.
    — Kat McGowan, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of affair

Phrases Containing love

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lovable
love
love affair
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Cite this Entry

“Love.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/love. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on love

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about love

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