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
This is a huge red flag for him, because a woman who loves her career won’t be a good mother to his future children. — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 Karlaftis would have loved to record the team’s first sack since the opening game against the Denver Broncos. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
In this love letter to the landscapes of New York state, Kaishian reveals the kaleidoscopic complexity of gender and sexuality in the plant, fungal, and animal worlds. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 And for anyone familiar with Wetzel's love of hunting, none of this should come as a surprise. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 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
  • An outgoing kid from the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, who adored his little sister, Burch never regained consciousness.
    — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • No other branch takes such delight in going its own way, regularly giving a cold shoulder to titles the rest of the industry adores.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of adore
Verb
  • Canes fans need not be reminded, but treasure every moment watching Toney.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • After a brief stint in the transfer portal in January, the former Hawklet stayed in Ann Arbor where his length (6-7, 310) and power in the run game are treasured.
    — PJ Green September 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of treasure
Verb
  • People went through the admission and security checkpoints without issues, and the event’s early evening acts enjoyed mostly dry stages with light, intermittent rain.
    — Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Patel seemed to enjoy the process, even though many people did not answer their doors and most of those who did had not heard about the election at all.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of enjoy
Verb
  • 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
  • Breasts are caressed and thighs crisscross; kisses are planted, and occasionally there’s a glimpse of something more graphic.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of caress
Noun
  • This significant fact indicates to this writer that the affections of the fair fans seem to be switching from those big strong men who rescue them from all sorts of situations, to an esthetic young chap who can give them a dancing thrill.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Olympia, Washington songwriter known for underground rap production pivots to sunny, nostalgic power-pop with distinct affection for the college-rock era.
    — Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of affection
Noun
  • The Coway Airmega Mighty has been a Reddit darling for years and a top air-purifier pick for more than a decade, since the product launched in 2015.
    — Matthew Huff, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The retail giant also has an on-going collaboration with menswear design darling Aaron Levine and has released capsule collections with Bad Bunny, Marisa Berenson, Fruit of the Loom, Baisi Guadagnino and more.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of darling
Noun
  • 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
  • This flamboyantly ambitious novel, which takes place in a version of Atlanta known as Atlantis, follows the life of George Washington Jonson, a Black cop with a liking for white women.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of liking
Noun
  • Her character has a romantic tension with Dennison, and despite plotting an affair, the pair only flirt and never act on it.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Citing no evidence other than her tarot cards, Guillard claimed the professor ordered the murders to cover up an affair with one of the female victims.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of affair

Phrases Containing love

Browse Nearby Words

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 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on love

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about love

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