Love definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

love in American English · 1. a deep and tender feeling of affection for or attachment or devotion to a person or persons · 2. an expression of one's love or ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Sentences Video LearnEnglish Videopronunciations Buildyourvocabulary Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Japanese Definitionof 'love'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× love (lʌv ) Wordforms:plural,3rdpersonsingularpresent tenseloves ,presentparticipleloving ,pasttense,pastparticipleloved 1. verb Ifyoulovesomeone,youfeelromanticallyorsexuallyattractedtothem,andtheyareveryimportanttoyou. Oh,Amy,Iloveyou.[VERBnoun] Weloveeachother.Wewanttospendourlivestogether.[VERBnoun] Synonyms:adore,carefor,treasure,cherish MoreSynonymsoflove 2. uncountablenoun Loveisaverystrongfeelingofaffectiontowardssomeonewhoyouareromanticallyor sexuallyattractedto. Ourloveforeachotherhasbeenincreasedbywhatwe'vebeenthroughtogether.[+for] ...anold-fashionedlovestory. ...analbumoflovesongs. Synonyms:passion,liking,regard,friendship MoreSynonymsoflove 3. verb Yousaythatyoulovesomeonewhentheirhappinessisveryimportanttoyou,sothatyoubehaveinakindandcaringwaytowardsthem. You'llneverloveanyonethewayyouloveyourbaby.[VERBnoun] 4. uncountablenoun Loveisthefeelingthataperson'shappinessisveryimportanttoyou,andthewayyou showthisfeelinginyourbehaviourtowardsthem. Myloveforallmychildrenisunconditional.[+for] She'sgotagreatcapacityforlove. 5. verb Ifyoulovesomething,youlikeitverymuch. Welovedthefoodsomuch,especiallythefishdishes.[VERBnoun/verb-ing] Ilovedreading.[VERBnoun/verb-ing] ...oneofthesepeoplethatlovestobeintheoutdoors.[VERBto-infinitive] IloveitwhenIhearyoulaugh.[Vitwh] Synonyms:enjoy,like,desire,fancy[informal] MoreSynonymsoflove 6. verb Youcansaythatyoulovesomethingwhenyouconsiderthatitisimportantandwanttoprotectorsupportit. Ilovemycountryasyouloveyours.[VERBnoun] 7. uncountablenoun Loveisastronglikingforsomething,orabeliefthatitisimportant. Thisisnowaytoencouragealoveofliterature. TheFrenchareknownfortheirloveoftheirlanguage.[+of] 8. countablenoun[usuallywithposs] Yourloveissomeoneorsomethingthatyoulove. 'Sheistheloveofmylife,'hesaid. Music'soneofmygreatloves. 9. verb Ifyouwouldlovetohaveordosomething,youverymuchwanttohaveitordoit. IwouldlovetoplayforEnglandagain.[VERBto-infinitive] Iwouldloveahotbathandcleanclothes.[VERBnoun] Hiswifewouldlovehimtogiveuphisjob.[VERBnounto-infinitive] 10. countablenoun Somepeopleuseloveasanaffectionatewayofaddressingsomeone. [British,informal,feelings]Well,I'lltakeyourwordforitthen,love. Don'tcry,mylove. Synonyms:beloved,dear,dearest,sweet MoreSynonymsoflove 11. number Intennis,loveisascoreofzero. HebeattheAustrianthreesetstolove. 12. convention Youcanuseexpressionssuchas'love','lovefrom',and'allmylove',followedbyyourname,asaninformalwayofendingaletteroremailtoafriendorrelation. ...withlovefromGrandmaandGrandpa. 13. uncountablenoun Ifyousendsomeoneyourlove,youaskanotherperson,whowillsoonbespeakingorwritingtothem,totellthemthatyouarethinkingaboutthemwithaffection. Pleasegivehermylove. 14. Seealsofreelove,-loved,loving,peace-loving,tug-of-love 15. Seefallinlove 16. Seefallinlove 17. Seebeinlove 18. Seebeinlove 19. Seenolovelost/littlelovelost 20. Seemakelove 21. Seeforloveormoney 22. Seeloveatfirstsight 23. labouroflove MoreSynonymsoflove CollinsCOBUILDAdvancedLearner’sDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof love Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'love' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'love' WordList'affection' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'falsefriend' HindiTranslationof'love' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency loveinBritishEnglish (lʌv ) verb1. (transitive) tohaveagreatattachmenttoandaffectionfor 2. (transitive) tohavepassionatedesire,longing,andfeelingsfor 3. (transitive) tolikeordesire(todosomething)verymuch 4. (transitive) tomakeloveto 5. (intransitive) tobeinlove noun6. a. anintenseemotionofaffection,warmth,fondness,andregardtowardsapersonorthing b. (asmodifier) lovesong lovestory 7. adeepfeelingofsexualattractionanddesire 8. wholeheartedlikingfororpleasureinsomething 9. Christianitya. God'sbenevolentattitudetowardshumankind b. humankind'sattitudeofreverentdevotiontowardsGod 10. Also:mylove abelovedperson:usedespasanendearment 11. Britishinformal atermofaddress,espbutnotnecessarilyforapersonregardedaslikable 12. (intennis,squash,etc)ascoreofzero 13. Seefallinlove 14. Seeforlove 15. Seeforloveormoney 16. Seefortheloveof 17. Seeinlove 18. Seemakelove ▶ Relatedadjective:amatoryCollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers WordoriginOldEnglishlufu;relatedtoOldHighGermanluba;comparealsoLatinlibēre(originallylubēre)toplease WordFrequency loveinAmericanEnglish (lʌv ) noun1.  adeepandtenderfeelingofaffectionfororattachmentordevotiontoapersonorpersons 2.  anexpressionofone'sloveoraffection giveMarymylove 3.  afeelingofbrotherhoodandgoodwilltowardotherpeople 4. a.  stronglikingfororinterestinsomething aloveofmusic b.  theobjectofsuchliking 5. a.  astrong,usuallypassionate,affectionofonepersonforanother,basedinpart onsexualattraction b.  thepersonwhoistheobjectofsuchanaffection;sweetheart;lover 6. a.  sexualpassion b.  sexualintercourse 7. Tennis ascoreofzero 8. Theologya.  God'stenderregardandconcernforallhumanbeings b.  devotiontoanddesireforGodasthesupremegood,thatallhumanbeingshave 9. [L-];Mythologya.  Cupid,orEros,asthegodoflove b. Rare Venus verbtransitiveWordforms:lovedorˈloving10.  tofeellovefor 11.  toshowloveforbyembracing,fondling,kissing,etc. 12.  todelightin;takepleasurein tolovebooks 13.  togainbenefitfrom aplantthatlovesshade verbintransitive14.  tofeeltheemotionoflove;beinlove Idioms: fallinlove(with) forlove fortheloveof inlove makelove nolovelostbetween notforloveormoney SYNONYMYNOTE:loveimpliesintensefondnessordeepdevotionandmayapplytovariousrelationships orobjects[sexuallove,brotherlylove,loveofone'swork,etc.];affectionsuggestswarm,tenderfeelings,usuallynotaspowerfulordeepasthoseimplied by,love[hehasnoaffectionforchildren];attachmentimpliesconnectionbytiesofaffection,attraction,devotion,etc.andmaybefelt forinanimatethingsaswellasforpeople[anattachmenttoanoldhat];infatuationimpliesafoolishorunreasoningpassionoraffection,oftenatransientone[anelderlyman'sinfatuationforayounggirl]Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. WordoriginMElibido,lief,lust;(sense7)