love

noun \ ˈləv \

Updated on: 28 Nov 2017

Definition of love

1 a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

maternal love for a child

(2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers

After all these years, they are still very much in love.

(3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests

love for his old schoolmates

b : an assurance of affection

give her my love

2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion

love of the sea

3 a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration

baseball was his first love

b (1) : a beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment

(2) British —used as an informal term of address

4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent (see benevolent 1a) concern for the good of another: such as

(1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind

(2) : brotherly concern for others

b : a person's adoration of God

5 : a god (such as Cupid or Eros) or personification of love

6 : an amorous episode : love affair

7 : the sexual embrace : copulation

8 : a score of zero (as in tennis)

9 capitalized, Christian Science : god

— at love

: holding one's opponent scoreless in tennis

— in love

: inspired by affection

See love defined for English-language learners

See love defined for kids

Examples of love in a Sentence

Mr. Brown seems to imply that when he retired he relinquished her love as casually as he dispensed with her secretarial services. —Ken Follett, New York Times Book Review, 27 Dec. 1987
… Eddie sees Vince's pure love of pool, and after years of thinking of the game as merely a hustle, the older man suddenly falls back in love with the game himself. —Maureen Dowd, New York Times Magazine, 28 Sept. 1986
Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly, so appealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her old trembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before she was through. —Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876
Allworthy thus answered: " … I have always thought love the only foundation of happiness in a married state, as it can only produce that high and tender friendship which should always be the cement of this union … " —Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749
Children need unconditional love from their parents.
He was just a lonely man looking for love.

Origin and Etymology of love

Middle English, from Old English lufu; akin to Old High German luba love, Old English lēof dear, Latin lubēre, libēre to please

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

love Synonyms

Synonyms

affection, attachment, devotedness, devotion, fondness, passion

Antonyms

abomination, hate, hatred, loathing, rancor

Related Words

appetite, fancy, favor, like, liking, partiality, preference, relish, taste; craving, crush, desire, infatuation, longing, lust, yearning; ardor, eagerness, enthusiasm, fervor, zeal; appreciation, esteem, estimation, regard, respect; adoration, adulation, deification, idolatry, idolization, worship; allegiance, faithfulness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, steadfastness

Near Antonyms

allergy, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, disfavor, dislike, enmity, hostility; abhorrence, disgust, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; misanthropy

Other Forms of Address Terms

appellation, beatitude, brethren, emeritus, esquire, sire, sous

love

verb \ ˈləv \

Definition of love

loved; loving

transitive verb

1 : to hold dear : cherish

2 a : to feel a lover's passion, devotion, or tenderness for

b (1) : caress

(2) : to fondle amorously

(3) : to copulate with

3 : to like or desire actively : take pleasure in

loved to play the violin

4 : to thrive in

the rose loves sunlight

intransitive verb

: to feel affection or experience desire

See love defined for English-language learners

Examples of love in a Sentence

People loved him for his brashness and talent, his crazy manglings of the English language, his brawling, boyish antics … and I loved him, too, I loved him as much as anyone in the world. —Paul Auster, Granta, Winter 1994
Lying awake, listening to the sound of his father's breathing, he knew there was no one in the world he loved so much. —William Maxwell, New Yorker, 15 May 1989
I love either rushing off into abstractions, or shamelessly talking personalities. —Elizabeth Bowen, letter, 28 Apr. 1923
"Nay," said Elizabeth, "this is not fair. You wish to think all the world respectable, and are hurt if I speak ill of any body. I only want to think you perfect, and you set yourself against it. Do not be afraid of my running into any excess, of my encroaching on your privilege of universal good will. You need not. There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well." —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813
She obviously loves her family very much.
You have to love in order to be loved.
He swore that he loved her madly.
She said she could never marry a man she didn't love.

Recent Examples of love from the Web

When Hannah’s life begins to unravel, she is forced to reevaluate her priorities and to trust in herself and the people who love her most.

— lisa regnante, Howard County Times, "Cumiskey releases new young adult novel [Ellicott City]," 26 Oct. 2017
The senior linebacker produced a stat line that many players would love to have for a season.

— john snodgrass, Cincinnati.com, "Prospect breakdown: Playoff special," 4 Nov. 2017
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s mud-loving stepchild moved 689,000 utility vehicles in the U.S. through October, more than any other brand.

— kyle stock, Bloomberg.com, "The State of the Great American SUV Race, in Three Charts," 3 Nov. 2017
Gretchen cannot allow herself to love someone and chooses instead to harm those who try to approach her with affection.

— rachel syme, New Republic, "You’re The Worst Is the Best Show We Have About Depression," 1 Nov. 2017
Shelton added that the NAACP would love to give White House officials a history lesson.

— anne branigin, The Root, "Black Lawmakers and Leaders Blast John Kelly for ‘Dangerous’ Civil War Comments," 1 Nov. 2017
With so much to love, the present owners have a difficult time pinpointing which of the plethora of amazing features originally sold them on the farmhouse.

— elizabeth finkelstein, Country Living, "This Cozy, Red Farmhouse Sums Up Everything We Love About New England," 30 Oct. 2017
Like those films, Marry Me, Bro is the sort of lowest-common-denominator comedy that French audiences seem to love perhaps against their better judgement.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Marry Me, Dude' ('Epouse-moi mon pote'): Film Review," 30 Oct. 2017
Behind the lavish salaries, superior athletic abilities, and legions of adoring fans is a regular person who wants to be loved like the rest of us.

— tyler watamanuk, GQ, "Steph Curry Just Responded to Everyone Who Thinks His Under Armour Sneakers Suck," 27 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'love.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of love

see ¹love

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

love Synonyms

Synonyms

appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value, set store by (or set store on), carry a torch for (or carry the torch for), fall for, lose one's heart (to)

Antonyms

disvalue

Related Words

delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, relish, revel (in); admire, apprize, esteem, regard, respect, revere, reverence, venerate; enshrine, memorialize; adore, caress, dote (on), idolize, worship

Near Antonyms

undervalue; abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe; disdain, high-hat, scorn, scout, slight, sniff (at), snub; bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage, kiss off, minimize, put down, write off; abandon, forget, neglect

LOVE Defined for English Language Learners

love

noun

Definition of love for English Language Learners

: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person
: attraction that includes sexual desire : the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship
: a person you love in a romantic way

love

verb

Definition of love for English Language Learners

: to feel great affection for (someone) : to feel love for (someone)
: to feel sexual or romantic love for (someone)
: to like or desire (something) very much : to take great pleasure in (something)