love
(l
v)
KEY
NOUN:
- A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
- A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.
-
- Sexual passion.
- Sexual intercourse.
- A love affair.
- An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.
- A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.
- An expression of one's affection:
Send him my love.
-
- A strong predilection or enthusiasm:
a love of language.
- The object of such an enthusiasm:
The outdoors is her greatest love.
-
Love
Mythology
Eros or Cupid.
- often
Love
Christianity
Charity.
-
Sports
A zero score in tennis.
VERB:
loved
,
lov·ing
,
loves
VERB:
tr.
- To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward (a person):
We love our parents. I love my friends.
- To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward (a person).
- To have an intense emotional attachment to:
loves his house.
-
- To embrace or caress.
- To have sexual intercourse with.
- To like or desire enthusiastically:
loves swimming.
-
Theology
To have charity for.
- To thrive on; need:
The cactus loves hot, dry air.
VERB:
intr.
- To experience deep affection or intense desire for another.
IDIOMS:
for love
- Out of compassion; with no thought for a reward:
She volunteers at the hospital for love.
for love or money
- Under any circumstances. Usually used in negative sentences:
I would not do that for love or money.
for the love of
- For the sake of; in consideration for:
did it all for the love of praise.
in love
- Deeply or passionately enamored:
a young couple in love.
- Highly or immoderately fond:
in love with Japanese painting; in love with the sound of her own voice.
no love lost
- No affection; animosity:
There's no love lost between them.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Old English
lufu; see
leubh- in Indo-European roots
SYNONYMS:
love
, affection
, devotion
, fondness
, infatuation
These nouns denote feelings of warm personal attachment or strong attraction to another person.
Love is the most intense:
marrying for love.
Affection is a less ardent and more unvarying feeling of tender regard:
parental affection.
Devotion is earnest, affectionate dedication and implies selflessness:
teachers admired for their devotion to children.
Fondness is strong liking or affection:
a fondness for small animals.
Infatuation is foolish or extravagant attraction, often of short duration:
lovers blinded to their differences by their mutual infatuation.
