what is love? love definition
- verb
If you love someone, you feel romantically or sexually attracted to them, and they are very important to you.
Oh, Amy, I love you. [VERB noun]
We love each other. We want to spend our lives together. [VERB noun]
adore, care for, treasure, cherish, prize, worship, be devoted to, be attached to, be in love with, dote on, hold dear, think the world of, idolize, feel affection for, have affection for, adulate, LUV [text messaging] - uncountable noun
Love is a very strong feeling of affection towards someone who you are romantically or sexually attracted to.
Our love for each other has been increased by what we've been through together. [+ for]
...a old fashioned love story.
...an album of love songs.
passion, liking, regard, friendship, affection, warmth, attachment, intimacy, devotion, tenderness, fondness, rapture, adulation, adoration, infatuation, ardour, endearment, aroha [New Zealand], amity, LUV [text messaging] - verb
You say that you love someone when their happiness is very important to you, so that you behave in a kind and caring way towards them.
You'll never love anyone the way you love your baby. [VERB noun] - uncountable noun
Love is the feeling that a person's happiness is very important to you, and the way you show this feeling in your behaviour towards them.
My love for all my children is unconditional. [+ for]
She's got a great capacity for love. - verb
If you love something, you like it very much.
We loved the food so much, especially the fish dishes. [VERB noun/verb-ing]
I loved reading. [VERB noun/verb-ing]
...one of these people that loves to be in the outdoors. [VERB to-infinitive]
I love it when I hear you laugh. [V it wh]
enjoy, like, desire, fancy [informal], appreciate, relish, delight in, savour, take pleasure in, have a soft spot for, be partial to, have a weakness for, LUV [text messaging] - verb
You can say that you love something when you consider that it is important and want to protect or support it.
I love my country as you love yours. [VERB noun] - uncountable noun
Love is a strong liking for something, or a belief that it is important.
This is no way to encourage a love of literature.
The French are known for their love of their language. [+ of] - countable noun [usually with poss]
Your love is someone or something that you love.
'She is the love of my life,' he said.
Music's one of my great loves. - verb
If you would love to have or do something, you very much want to have it or do it.
I would love to play for England again. [VERB to-infinitive]
I would love a hot bath and clean clothes. [VERB noun]
His wife would love him to give up his job. [VERB noun to-infinitive] - countable noun
Some people use love as an affectionate way of addressing someone.
[British, informal, feelings]
Well, I'll take your word for it then, love.
Don't cry, my love.
beloved, dear, dearest, sweet, lover, angel [informal], darling, honey, loved one, sweetheart, truelove, dear one, leman [archaic], inamorata or inamorato, LUV [text messaging] - number
In tennis, love is a score of zero.
He beat Thomas Muster of Austria three sets to love. - convention
You can use expressions such as 'love', 'love from', and 'all my love', followed by your name, as an informal way of ending a letter to a friend or relation.
...with love from Grandma and Grandpa. - uncountable noun
If you send someone your love, you ask another person, who will soon be speaking or writing to them, to tell them that you are thinking about them with affection.
Please give her my love. - See also -loved, loving, free love, peace-loving, tug-of-love
fall in love
fall in love
be in love
be in love
no love lost/little love lost
make love
for love or money
love at first sight
- labour of love