Affection

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: af=fec=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Affection, n. [F. affection, L. affectio, fr. afficere. See Affect.].

•  The act of affecting or acting upon; the state of being affected.  [1913 Webster]
•  An attribute; a quality or property; a condition; a bodily state; as, figure, weight, etc. , are affections of bodies.  Boyle.  [1913 Webster]

  "And, truly, waking dreams were, more or less,
  An old and strange affection of the house."  [1913 Webster]
•  Bent of mind; a feeling or natural impulse or natural impulse acting upon and swaying the mind; any emotion; as, the benevolent affections, esteem, gratitude, etc.; the malevolent affections, hatred, envy, etc.; inclination; disposition; propensity; tendency.  [1913 Webster]

  "Affection is applicable to an unpleasant as well as a pleasant state of the mind, when impressed by any object or quality."  [1913 Webster]
•  A settled good will; kind feeling; love; zealous or tender attachment; -- often in the pl. Formerly followed by to, but now more generally by for or towards; as, filial, social, or conjugal affections; to have an affection for or towards children.  [1913 Webster]

  "All his affections are set on his own country."  [1913 Webster]
•  Prejudice; bias.  Bp. Aylmer.  [1913 Webster]
•  Disease; morbid symptom; malady; as, a pulmonary affection.  Dunglison.  [1913 Webster]
•  The lively representation of any emotion.  Wotton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Affectation.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  Passion; violent emotion.  [1913 Webster]

  "Most wretched man,
  That to affections does the bridle lend."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Attachment; passion; tenderness; fondness; kindness; love; good will. See Attachment; Disease.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Affection, n.
1 (often foll. by for, towards) goodwill; fond or kindly feeling.
2 a disease; a diseased condition.
3 a mental state; an emotion.
4 a mental disposition.
5 the act or process of affecting or being affected.

Derivative

affectional adj. (in sense 3). affectionally adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L affectio -onis (as AFFECT(1))

THESAURUS

Affection

Amor, Christian love, Eros, Platonic love, abnormality, access, acute disease, admiration, adoration, adore, affect, affectionateness, affections, affective faculty, affectivity, affliction, agape, ailment, allergic disease, allergy, amativeness, amorousness, ardency, ardor, atrophy, attachment, attack, attention, attribute, bacterial disease, bent, bias, birth defect, blight, bodily love, brotherly love, cardiovascular disease, caritas, character, characteristic, charity, chronic disease, circulatory disease, complaint, complication, concern, condition, congenital defect, conjugal love, crush, defect, deficiency disease, deformity, degenerative disease, demonstrativeness, derangement, desire, devotion, disability, disease, disorder, distemper, disturbance, doting, ecstasy, emotion, emotional charge, emotional life, emotional shade, emotions, enchantment, endemic, endemic disease, endocrine disease, enjoying, epidemic disease, experience, faculty, faithful love, fancy, feature, feeling, feeling tone, feelings, fervor, finer feelings, flame, fondness, foreboding, free love, free-lovism, functional disease, fungus disease, gastrointestinal disease, genetic disease, goatishness, goodwill, gust, gusto, gut reaction, handicap, heart, heartthrob, hereditary disease, hero worship, high regard, horniness, iatrogenic disease, idolatry, idolism, idolization, ill, illness, impression, indisposition, infatuation, infectious disease, infirmity, interest, lasciviousness, leaning, libido, like, likes, liking, love, lovelornness, lovemaking, lovesickness, malady, malaise, mark, married love, morbidity, morbus, muscular disease, neurological disease, nutritional disease, occupational disease, organic disease, pandemic disease, paroxysm, passion, passions, pathological condition, pathology, penchant, physical love, plant disease, popular regard, popularity, predilection, presentiment, profound sense, propensity, property, protozoan disease, psychosomatic disease, rapture, reaction, regard, relish, respiratory disease, response, rockiness, romanticism, savor, secondary disease, seediness, sensation, sense, sensibilities, sentiment, sentimentality, sentiments, sex, sexiness, sexual love, shine, sickishness, sickness, signs, spell, spiritual love, susceptibilities, susceptibility, sympathies, sympathy, symptomatology, symptomology, symptoms, syndrome, taste, tender feeling, tender passion, tender susceptibilities, tenderness, the pip, trait, truelove, turn, undercurrent, urogenital disease, uxoriousness, virtue, virus disease, warmth, wasting disease, weakness, worm disease, worship, yearning

ROGET THESAURUS

Affection

Feeling

N feeling, suffering, endurance, tolerance, sufferance, supportance, experience, response, sympathy, impression, inspiration, affection, sensation, emotion, pathos, deep sense, warmth, glow, unction, gusto, vehemence, fervor, fervency, heartiness, cordiality, earnestness, eagerness, empressement, gush, ardor, zeal, passion, enthusiasm, verve, furore, fanaticism, excitation of feeling, fullness of the heart, passion, ecstasy, blush, suffusion, flush, hectic, tingling, thrill, turn, shock, agitation, quiver, heaving, flutter, flurry, fluster, twitter, tremor, throb, throbbing, pulsation, palpitation, panting, trepidation, perturbation, ruffle, hurry of spirits, pother, stew, ferment, state of excitement, feeling, sentient, sensuous, sensorial, sensory, emotive, emotional, of feeling, with feeling, warm, quick, lively, smart, strong, sharp, acute, cutting, piercing, incisive, keen, keen as a razor, trenchant, pungent, racy, piquant, poignant, caustic, impressive, deep, profound, indelible, deep felt, home felt, heartfelt, swelling, soul-stirring, deep-mouthed, heart-expanding, electric, thrilling, rapturous, ecstatic, earnest, wistful, eager, breathless, fervent, fervid, gushing, passionate, warm-hearted, hearty, cordial, sincere, zealous, enthusiastic, glowing, ardent, burning, red-hot, fiery, flaming, boiling over, pervading, penetrating, absorbing, rabid, raving, feverish, fanatical, hysterical, impetuous, impressed with, moved with, touched with, affected with, penetrated with, seized with, imbued with, devoured by, wrought up, struck all of a heap, rapt, in a quiver, enraptured, heart and soul, from the bottom of one's heart, ab imo pectore, at heart, con amore, heartily, devoutly, over head and ears, head over heels, the heart big, the heart full, the heart swelling, the heart beating, the heart pulsating, the heart throbbing, the heart thumping, the heart beating high, the heart melting, the heart overflowing, the heart bursting, the heart breaking, the heart goes out, a heart as big as all outdoors (sympathy).

Friendship

N friendship, amity, friendliness, brotherhood, fraternity, sodality, confraternity, harmony, peace, firm friendship, staunch friendship, intimate friendship, familiar friendship, bosom friendship, cordial friendship, tried friendship, devoted friendship, lasting friendship, fast friendship, sincere friendship, warm friendship, ardent friendship, cordiality, fraternization, entente cordiale, good understanding, rapprochement, sympathy, fellow-feeling, response, welcomeness, affection, favoritism, good will, acquaintance, familiarity, intimacy, intercourse, fellowship, knowledge of, introduction, friendly, amicable, amical, well-affected, unhostile, neighborly, brotherly, fraternal, sympathetic, harmonious, hearty, cordial, warm- hearted, friends with, well with, at home with, hand in hand with, on good terms, on friendly terms, on amicable terms, on cordial terms, on familiar terms, on intimate terms, on good footing, on speaking terms, on visiting terms, in one's good graces, in one's good books, acquainted, familiar, intimate, thick, hand and glove, hail fellow well met, free and easy, welcome, amicably, with open arms, sans ceremonie, arm in arm, amicitia semper prodest, a mystic bond of brotherhood makes all men one, friendship is love without either flowers or veil, trulgus amicitias utilitate probat.

Love

N love, fondness, liking, inclination, regard, dilection, admiration, fancy, affection, sympathy, fellow-feeling, tenderness, heart, brotherly love, benevolence, attachment, yearning, eros, tender passion, amour, gyneolatry, gallantry, passion, flame, devotion, fervor, enthusiasm, transport of love, rapture, enchantment, infatuation, adoration, idolatry, Cupid, Venus, myrtle, true lover's knot, love token, love suit, love affair, love tale, love story, the, old story, plighted love, courtship, amourette, free love, maternal love, storge, parental love, young love, puppy love, attractiveness, popularity, favorite, lover, suitor, follower, admirer, adorer, wooer, amoret, beau, sweetheart, inamorato, swain, young man, flame, love, truelove, leman, Lothario, gallant, paramour, amoroso, cavaliere servente, captive, cicisbeo, caro sposo, inamorata, ladylove, idol, darling, duck, Dulcinea, angel, goddess, cara sposa, betrothed, affianced, fiancee, flirt, coquette, amorette, pair of turtledoves, abode of love, agapemone, loving, fond of, taken with, struck with, smitten, bitten, attached to, wedded to, enamored, charmed, in love, love-sick, over head and ears in love, head over heels in love, affectionate, tender, sweet upon, sympathetic, loving, amorous, amatory, fond, erotic, uxorious, ardent, passionate, rapturous, devoted, motherly, loved, beloved well beloved, dearly beloved, dear, precious, darling, pet, little, favorite, popular, congenial, after one's mind, after one's taste, after one's fancy, after one's own heart, to one's mind, to one's taste, to one's fancy, to one's own heart, in one's good graces, dear as the apple of one's eye, nearest to one's heart, lovable, adorable, lovely, sweet, attractive, seductive, winning, charming, engaging, interesting, enchanting, captivating, fascinating, bewitching, amiable, like an angel, amantes amentes, credula res amor est, militat omnis amasius, love conquers all, omnia vincit amor, si vis amari ama, the sweetest joy, the wildest woe.

VB love, like, affect, fancy, care for, take an interest in, be partial to, sympathize with, affection, be in love with, have a love, for, entertain a love, for, harbor cherish a love, for, regard, revere, take to, bear love to, be wedded to, set one's affections on, make much of, feast one's eyes on, hold dear, prize, hug, cling to, cherish, pet, burn, adore, idolize, love to distraction, aimer eperdument, dote on, dote upon, take a fancy to, look sweet upon, become enamored, fall in love with, lose one's heart, desire, excite love, win the heart, gain the heart, win the affections, gain the affections, secure the love, engage the affections, take the fancy of have a place in the heart, wind round the heart, attract, attach, endear, charm, fascinate, captivate, bewitch, seduce, enamor, enrapture, turn the head, get into favor, ingratiate oneself, insinuate oneself, worm oneself, propitiate, curry favor with, pay one's court to, faire l'aimable, set one's cap at, flirt.