loves 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of love
1
as in treasures
to hold dear patriots who loved their country well enough to die for it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adores
to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for a husband who loves his wife more than anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in enjoys
to take pleasure in I love playing Frisbee in the summer rain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in caresses
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

loves

2 of 2

noun

plural of love
1
as in passions
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 darlings
a person with whom one is in love she is the love of my life

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in likes
positive regard for something a love of chocolate, which I will pay anything to indulge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in affairs
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 loves
Verb
Nobody loves bug bites, or the scent of being doused in bug spray. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 Sonny Dykes loves this job, this town, and Auburn wasn’t hiring him no matter how much his agent wanted to sell that empty threat. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 Look, not everyone loves the Coastal Act or the Coastal Commission, which is seen by many as obstructionist and slow-footed. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 Willis feedback Tolbert loves how quarterback Malik Willis has comported himself as a first-time starting quarterback. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 That would be all well and good (everyone loves Anton), except for their low-key flirting (throughout the back half of the season) and high-key kiss (in front of everyone, post-nuptials, at their friends’ urging). — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026 Sister Mary Grace, 76, loves the opportunity for contemplation and the chance to express it artistically. — Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026 Their family heritage dictates that any man an Owens woman truly loves will die an untimely death. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026 Fishman said the Jolene Jolene community loves serving and caring for others. — Emily McLeod, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
New York will be blessed to have someone so faithful to his truest loves. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026 After training at the Royal College of Music, combining her twin loves of music and sport has created a flourishing career. — Paul Newman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Taylor would remember Todd as one of the great loves of her life. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026 Here’s everything to know about the real-life loves of the Ted Lasso season 4 cast. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 Our matriarch, teacher, spirit speaker, my best friend and truly one of the deepest loves of my life. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 July 2026 An openly gay man in Catholic Italy as well as an old-school romantic, Visconti was cinema’s great poet of impossible loves. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Bond has always been an intriguing vessel; by design, the spy is detached and isolated, a character who can disappear into the shadows and emerge totally fixated on a new mission with his past loves and losses brushed off with ease. — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 10 July 2026 As the night unfolds, the party crowd revisits past loves, secrets, and lost dreams. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loves
  1. treasures
  2. adores
  3. enjoys
  4. caresses
  5. passions
  6. darlings
  7. likes
  8. affairs
Verb
  • Torres now treasures a Bible recovered near the spot where Olvera's body was found.
    — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • Ellison treasures loyalty above all else.
    — Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Definition of treasures
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the internet adores Zork, a guy in a diving suit with a flying headbutt attack.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The catch is, the only time this program fits into your child’s schedule is during their advanced orchestra rehearsal or a figure drawing class that your child adores.
    — Parents, Parents, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of adores
Verb
  • At the same time, the collaboration enjoys enormous gains on two other lists.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Opponents say the current setup is just right and that Iceland already enjoys all the benefits of European integration without the sovereignty compromises that inevitably will come from being a full member.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of enjoys
Verb
  • The Princess Diaries star smiles, caresses her belly, then ducks out of the frame.
    — Redazione People, Vanity Fair, 19 June 2026
  • Those of us with a penchant for fashion have managed—not without effort—to put aside the knowing glances, caresses, and hugs to take in every detail of the look.
    — Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 7 June 2026
Definition of caresses
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
  • If that does happen, and UNLV goes from G6 Playoff darlings to 0-2, some uncomfortable conversations will start to spring up about head coach Dan Mullen's future in Vegas.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The company adds some 30 to 60 movies to its catalog annually, most of them lost gems of world cinema, festival-circuit darlings, or old Hollywood hits.
    — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of darlings
Noun
  • Roughly 450 users reacted with likes or hearts, while about 480 responded with laughing emojis, underscoring the divided response.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • As a psychologist who works with teens, Sophia Choukas-Bradley has heard from clients who spend an hour after having posted on social media obsessively refreshing their screens, watching their likes accumulate.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of likes
Noun
  • Shelley served as the Warriors’ associate general counsel and director of business and legal affairs and risk management, and Vasquez was the vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The new complaints allege that recommendation was overruled by the company's global affairs team, led by veteran political strategist Lehane, which is responsible for public relations, public policy and political relationships.
    — Shannon Bond, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of affairs

Browse Nearby Words

lovers
loves
love seat
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Cite this Entry

“Loves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loves. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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