affections

noun

plural of affection
1
as in passions
a feeling of strong or constant regard for and dedication to someone an elderly couple showing their affection for each other by little acts of kindness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in diseases
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning born with a heart affection that later caused him problems

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing I'm rooting for the Cubs—just my natural affection for the underdog, I guess

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind religion, of one kind or another, is an affection common to every society known to have existed

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 affections Staff are tuned-in and attentive, knowledgeable and efficient, without dispensing any of the sirs and ma’ams and stilted affections of fancier places. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 Newcomers Álvarez and Knight couldn’t be better in their newlywed roles, convincing in their giddy love scenes, their casual affections, their unwanted suspicions and, most of all, their terror at whatever is lurking in the air and in their souls. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026 What starts out as a routine professional interview soon spirals into an absurdly funny portrait of the rivalries, loyalties and affections shared by three women. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Two brothers fighting over the affections of a woman — or, perhaps in the case of The White Lotus, each other — is a tale as old as time. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026 This sounds like a possible rival for the affections of anyone who loves the sweet-salty flavor of McDonald’s McGriddle breakfast sandwich. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 20 July 2026 Soprano Michelle Allie Drever sings the title role, while tenor Maxwell Ary is Ruggero, the object of her conflicted affections. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 16 July 2026 In any case, as their journey reminds us, someone (or in this case something) needn’t be perfect to be worthy of our affections. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026 In Virgo, Venus is sensual but also underrated, often expressing her affections with tact, reliability and acts of service. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affections
  1. passions
  2. diseases
  3. inclinations
  4. characteristics
  5. ailments
  6. tendencies
  7. qualities
  8. illnesses
Noun
  • Polite, slightly puzzling debates over the merits of using concrete in Africa muffle the period’s scalding passions and incandescent dreams.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Now, about six months after Dane’s death, Gayheart is staying strong and pursuing her passions, even in the wake of her grief.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of passions
Noun
  • The lack of federal guidance, conflicting messages and potential barriers to immunizations worry public health officials because vaccination rates are already falling, leading to resurgences of dangerous diseases like measles.
    — Rob Stein, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • More fertilizer will likely bring about a higher quality lawn, but along with that carpet-like appearance comes higher water demands, more mowing, and in some cases, a greater susceptibility to pests and diseases.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of diseases
Noun
  • Putin will eventually leave office, whether by death, illness, or—against all observable inclinations—stepping aside.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • People with gene variants that affect these inclinations may also be at a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes, researchers found.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of inclinations
Noun
  • Directly transferring the original walking policy failed because the second robot had different body proportions, joint configurations, and motor characteristics.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • According to the team, each of those characteristics plays out similarly in real fish of various sizes across different ecological niches.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of characteristics
Noun
  • Dawn had had a lifelong interest in homeopathy and spent hours obsessively detailing her children’s ailments.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Curry had lived with various ailments following a 2012 stroke.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of ailments
Noun
  • Wanda’s obsessive drive to succeed ignites her darker side and self-destructive tendencies that led to her drug addiction.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Your more shadowy tendencies are liable to pop out around this time, particularly the ones that stem from an insecure attachment style.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of tendencies
Noun
  • Summary Personality traits often blur between desirable and undesirable, with positive qualities becoming negative in extreme.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • McGee joked with the crowd that their most similar qualities were distress around loud noises and mild anxiety.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of qualities
Noun
  • The question of defining a measles death hasn't come up much in recent decades because vaccination rates were high and measles illnesses and deaths had become rare.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Thousands of people were sickened by foodborne illnesses this summer.
    — Dian Zhang, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of illnesses

Browse Nearby Words

affectionate
affections
affectless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affections.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affections. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All