Love

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Love, n. [OE. love, luve, AS. lufe, lufu; akin to E. lief, believe, L. lubet, libet, it pleases, Skr. lubh to be lustful. See Lief.].

•  A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preëminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters.  [1913 Webster]

  "Of all the dearest bonds we prove
  Thou countest sons' and mothers' love
  Most sacred, most Thine own."  [1913 Webster]
•  Especially, devoted attachment to, or tender or passionate affection for, one of the opposite sex.  [1913 Webster]

  "He on his side
  Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial love
  Hung over her enamored."  [1913 Webster]
•  Courtship; -- chiefly in the phrase to make love, i. e., to court, to woo, to solicit union in marriage.  [1913 Webster]

  "Demetrius . . .
  Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
  And won her soul."  [1913 Webster]
•  Affection; kind feeling; friendship; strong liking or desire; fondness; good will; -- opposed to hate; often with of and an object.  [1913 Webster]

  "Love, and health to all."  [1913 Webster]

  "Smit with the love of sacred song."  [1913 Webster]

  "The love of science faintly warmed his breast."  [1913 Webster]
•  Due gratitude and reverence to God.  [1913 Webster]

  "Keep yourselves in the love of God."  [1913 Webster]
•  The object of affection; -- often employed in endearing address; as, he held his love in his arms; his greatest love was reading.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

  "Open the temple gates unto my love."  [1913 Webster]
•  Cupid, the god of love; sometimes, Venus.  [1913 Webster]

  "Such was his form as painters, when they show
  Their utmost art, on naked Lores bestow."  [1913 Webster]

  "Therefore do nimble-pinioned doves draw Love."  [1913 Webster]
•  A thin silk stuff.  Boyle.  [1913 Webster]
•  A climbing species of Clematis (Clematis Vitalba).  [1913 Webster]
•  Nothing; no points scored on one side; -- used in counting score at tennis, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  "He won the match by three sets to love."  [1913 Webster]
•  Sexual intercourse; -- a euphemism.  [PJC]

  " Love is often used in the formation of compounds, in most of which the meaning is very obvious; as, love-cracked, love-darting, love-killing, love-linked, love-taught, etc."  [1913 Webster]

  "A little western flower,
  Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound;
  And maidens call it love-in-idleness."

Syn. -- Affection; friendship; kindness; tenderness; fondness; delight.

Love, v. t. [AS. lufian. Love, n.].

•  To have a feeling of love for; to regard with affection or good will; as, to love one's children and friends; to love one's country; to love one's God.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self."  [1913 Webster]
•  To regard with passionate and devoted affection, as that of one sex for the other.  [1913 Webster]
•  To take delight or pleasure in; to have a strong liking or desire for, or interest in; to be pleased with; to like; as, to love books; to love adventures.  [1913 Webster]

  "Wit, eloquence, and poetry.
  Arts which I loved."  [1913 Webster]

Love, v. i. 

 To have the feeling of love; to be in love.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Love, n. & v.
--n.
1 an intense feeling of deep affection or fondness for a person or thing; great liking.
2 sexual passion.
3 sexual relations.
4 a a beloved one; a sweetheart (often as a form of address). b Brit. colloq. a form of address regardless of affection.
5 colloq. a person of whom one is fond.
6 affectionate greetings (give him my love).
7 (often Love) a representation of Cupid.
8 (in some games) no score; nil.
--v.tr.
1 (also absol.) feel love or deep fondness for.
2 delight in; admire; greatly cherish.
3 colloq. like very much (loves books).
4 (foll. by verbal noun, or to + infin.) be inclined, esp. as a habit; greatly enjoy; find pleasure in (children love dressing up; loves to find fault).

Idiom

fall in love (often foll. by with) develop a great (esp. sexual) love (for). for love for pleasure not profit. for the love of for the sake of. in love (often foll. by with) deeply enamoured (of). love affair a romantic or sexual relationship between two people in love. love-apple archaic a tomato. love-bird any of various African and Madagascan parrots, esp. Agapornis personata. love-child an illegitimate child. love-feast
1 a meal affirming brotherly love among early Christians.
2 a religious service of Methodists, etc., imitating this. love game a game in which the loser makes no score. love-hate relationship an intensely emotional relationship in which one or each party has ambivalent feelings of love and hate for the other. love-in-a-mist a blue-flowered garden plant, Nigella damascena, with many delicate green bracts. love-letter a letter expressing feelings of sexual love. love-lies-bleeding a garden plant, Amaranthus caudatus, with drooping spikes of purple-red blooms. love-match a marriage made for love's sake. love-nest a place of intimate lovemaking. love-seat an armchair or small sofa for two. make love (often foll.
by to)
1 have sexual intercourse (with).
2 archaic pay amorous attention (to). not for love or money colloq. not in any circumstances. out of love no longer in love.

Derivative

loveworthy adj.

Etymology

OE lufu f. Gmc

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Love

n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like _caries_ and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more frequently to the physician than to the patient.

THESAURUS

Love

Amor, Aphrodite, Astarte, BOMFOG, Benthamism, Christian charity, Christian love, Cupid, Eros, Freya, Kama, Love, Venus, accord, accordance, admiration, admire, adoration, adore, adulate, adulation, affair, affection, affinity, agape, agreement, aim at, allegiance, altruism, amiability, amiableness, amicability, amicableness, amity, amor, amorousness, amour, angel, appreciate, ardency, ardor, attachment, attraction, babe, baby, baby-doll, bang, bask in, be all heart, be desirous of, be fond of, be partial to, be pleased with, beau, beloved, beloved object, beneficence, benevolence, benevolent disposition, benevolentness, bent, best love, best regards, best wishes, betrothed, bigheartedness, bonds of harmony, bonk, boyfriend, brotherhood, brotherly love, burn with love, buttercup, cardinal virtues, care, care for, caress, caritas, carnality, cement of friendship, charitableness, charity, cherish, cherub, chick, chickabiddy, choose, coldness, communion, community, community of interests, compatibility, compliments, concern, concord, concordance, congeniality, correspondence, cosset, crush, cuddle, dandle, darling, dear, dear one, dearly beloved, deary, deify, delight, delight in, derive pleasure from, desiderate, desire, devoirs, devotion, devour, disposition, do-goodism, doll, dote, dote on, dote upon, duck, duckling, eat up, egards, embrace, emotion, empathy, enjoy, enjoyment, enthusiasm, esprit, esprit de corps, exalt, faith, fancy, favor, fealty, feast on, feeling of identity, fellow feeling, fellowship, fervor, fiance, fiancee, fidelity, flesh, fleshliness, flower power, fondle, fondness, fortitude, freak out on, frictionlessness, friendliness, friendship, frigidity, fuck, generosity, get high on, girl, giving, gloat over, go for, good vibes, good vibrations, good wishes, goodwill, grace, greatheartedness, greetings, groove on, gust, gusto, guy, happy family, harmony, hate, have deep feelings, have designs on, have eyes for, have it bad, have sex, hold dear, hon, honey, honey bunch, honey child, hope, humanitarianism, hump, identity, idolatry, idolize, impotence, inamorata, inamorato, inclination, indulge in, infatuation, intended, intrigue, justice, kind regards, kindest regards, kindness, kinship, know, lamb, lambkin, largeheartedness, leaning, liaison, libido, light of love, like, like-mindedness, likes, liking, love affair, love of mankind, loved one, lovemaking, lover, loyalty, lust, lust after, luxuriate in, make out, man, mania, marriage, mate, mutuality, natural virtues, neck, neighborlikeness, neighborliness, oneness, partiality, passion, peace, peaceableness, pet, petkins, philanthropism, philanthropy, piety, pleasure, potency, precious, precious heart, predilection, prefer, preference, prize, proclivity, prudence, rapport, rapprochement, rapture, reciprocity, regard, regards, rejoice in, relationship, relish, remembrances, respects, revel in, revere, riot in, romance, savor, screw, sensuality, sentiment, sex drive, sexiness, sexual instinct, sexual urge, sexualism, sexuality, sharing, sisterhood, smack the lips, snookums, sociability, solicitude, solidarity, sugar, suitor, supernatural virtues, swain, sweet, sweetheart, sweetie, sweetkins, sweets, swim in, sympathy, symphony, take, take pleasure in, take to, tally, taste, team spirit, temperance, tenderness, theological virtues, thing, treasure, truelove, turtledove, understanding, unhostility, union, unison, unity, utilitarianism, value, venerate, voluptuousness, wallow in, want, warmth, weakness, welfarism, well-affectedness, well-beloved, well-disposedness, wish, wish to goodness, wish very much, woman, worship, would fain do, yearning, young man, zeal

ROGET THESAURUS

Love

Pleasure

VB be pleased, feel pleasure, experience pleasure, joy, enjoy oneself, hug oneself, be in clover &c, be in elysium, tread on enchanted ground, fall into raptures, go into raptures, feel at home, breathe freely, bask in the sunshine, be pleased with, receive pleasure, derive pleasure, from, take pleasure, in, delight in, rejoice in, indulge in, luxuriate in, gloat over, enjoy, relish, like, love, take to, take a fancy to, have a liking for, enter into the spirit of, take in good part, treat oneself to, solace oneself with.

Desire

N desire, wish, fancy, fantasy, want, need, exigency, mind, inclination, leaning, bent, animus, partiality, penchant, predilection, propensity, willingness, liking, love, fondness, relish, longing, hankering, inkling, solicitude, anxiety, yearning, coveting, aspiration, ambition, vaulting ambition, eagerness, zeal, ardor, empressement, breathless impatience, overanxiety, impetuosity, appetite, appetition, appetence, appetency, sharp appetite, keenness, hunger, stomach, twist, thirst, thirstiness, drouth, mouthwatering, itch, itching, prurience, cacoethes, cupidity, lust, concupiscence, edge of appetite, edge of hunger, torment of Tantalus, sweet tooth, lickerish tooth, itching palm, longing eye, wistful eye, sheep's eye, greed, voracity, passion, rage, furore, mania, manie, inextinguishable desire, dipsomania, kleptomania, lover, amateur, votary, devotee, aspirant, solicitant, candidate, applicant, supplicant, cormorant, desideratum, want, a consummation devoutly to be wished, attraction, magnet, allurement, fancy, temptation, seduction, fascination, prestige, height of one's ambition, idol, whim, whimsy, whimsey, maggot, hobby, hobby-horse, Fortunatus's cap, wishing cap, wishing stone, wishing well, desirous, desiring, inclined, partial to, fain, wishful, optative, anxious, wistful, curious, at a loss for, sedulous, solicitous, craving, hungry, sharp-set, peckish, ravening, with an empty stomach, esurient, lickerish, thirsty, athirst, parched with thirst, pinched with hunger, famished, dry, drouthy, hungry as a hunter, hungry as a hawk, hungry as a horse, hungry as a church mouse, hungry as a bear, greedy, unsatisfied, unsated, unslaked, unsaturated, eager, avid, keen, burning, fervent, ardent, agog, all agog, breathless, impatient, bent on, intent on, set on, bent upon, intent upon, set upon, mad after, enrage, rabid, dying for, devoured by desire, aspiring, ambitious, vaulting, skyaspiring, high-reaching, desirable, desired, in demand, pleasing, appetizing, appetible, tantalizing, wistfully, fain, Int, would that, would that it were!, O for!, esto perpetual, the wish being father to the thought, sua cuique voluptas, hoc erat in votis, the mouth watering, the fingers itching, aut Caesar aut nullus, Cassius has a lean and hungry look, hungry as the grave, I was born to other things, not what we wish but what we want, such joy ambition finds, the sea hath bounds but deep desire hath none, ubi mel ibi apes.

Friendship

VB be friendly, be friends, be acquainted with, know, have the ear of, keep company with, hold communication with, have dealings with, sympathize with, have a leaning to, bear good will, love, make much of, befriend, introduce to, set one's horses together, have the latchstring out, hold out the right hand of friendship, extend the right hand of friendship, hold out the right hand of fellowship, become friendly, make friends with, break the lee, be introduced to, make acquaintance with, pick acquaintance with, scrape acquaintance with, get into favor, gain the friendship of, shake hands with, fraternize, embrace, receive with open arms, throw oneself into the arms of, meet halfway, take in good part.

Courtesy

N courtesy, respect, good manners, good behavior, good breeding, manners, politeness, bienseance, urbanity, comity, gentility, breeding, polish, presence, civility, civilization, amenity, suavity, good temper, good humor, amiability, easy temper, complacency, soft tongue, mansuetude, condescension, affability, complaisance, pr_evenance, amability, gallantry, pink of politeness, pink of courtesy, compliment, fair words, soft words, sweet words, honeyed phrases, ceremonial salutation, reception, presentation, introduction, accueil, greeting, recognition, welcome, abord, respects, devoir, regards, remembrances, kind regards, kind remembrances, love, best love, duty, empty encomium, flattering remark, hollow commendation, salaams, obeisance, bow, courtesy, curtsy, scrape, salaam, kotow, kowtow, bowing and scraping, kneeling, genuflection, obsequiousness, capping, shaking hands grip of the hand, embrace, hug, squeeze, accolade, loving cup, vin d'honneur, pledge, love token, kiss, buss, salute, mark of recognition, nod, nods and becks and wreathed smiles, valediction, condolence, courteous, polite, civil, mannerly, urbane, well-behaved, well- mannered, well-bred, well-brought up, good-mannered, polished, civilized, cultivated, refined, gentlemanlike, gallant, on one's good behavior, fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken, honey-mouthed, honey- tongued, oily, bland, obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent, obsequious, ingratiating, winning, gentle, mild, good-humored, cordial, gracious, affable, familiar, neighborly, diplomatic, tactful, politic, artful, courteously, with a good grace, with open arms, with outstretched arms, a bras ouverts, suaviter in modo, in good humor, Int, hail!, welcome!, well met!, ave!, all hail!, good day, good morrow!, Godspeed!, pax vobiscum!, may your shadow never be less!, Tien de plus estimable que la ceremonie, the very pink of courtesy.

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, 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.

Benevolence

N benevolence, Christian charity, God's love, God's grace, good will, philanthropy, unselfishness, good nature, good feeling, good wishes, kindness, kindliness, loving-kindness, benignity, brotherly love, charity, humanity, fellow-feeling, sympathy, goodness of heart, warmth of heart, bonhomie, kind-heartedness, amiability, milk of human kindness, tenderness, love, friendship, toleration, consideration, generosity, mercy, charitableness, bounty, almsgiving, good works, beneficence, the luxury of doing good, acts of kindness, a good turn, good offices, kind offices good treatment, kind treatment, good Samaritan, sympathizer, bon enfant, altruist, benevolent, kind, kindly, well-meaning, amiable, obliging, accommodating, indulgent, gracious, complacent, good-humored, warm-hearted, kind-hearted, tender-hearted, large-hearted, broad- hearted, merciful, charitable, beneficent, humane, benignant, bounteous, bountiful, good-natured, well-natured, spleenless, sympathizing, sympathetic, complaisant, well-meant, well-intentioned, fatherly, motherly, brotherly, sisterly, paternal, maternal, fraternal, sororal, friendly, with a good intention, with the best intentions, Int, Godspeed!, much good may it do!, act a charity sometimes, a tender heart, a will inflexible, de mortuis nil nisi bonum, say only good things about the dead, don't speak ill of the dead, kind words are more than coronets, quando amigo pide no hay manana, the social smile, the sympathetic tear.

Approbation

N approbation, approval, approvement, sanction, advocacy, nod of approbation, esteem, estimation, good opinion, golden opinions, admiration, love, appreciation, regard, account, popularity, kudos, credit, repute, best seller, commendation, praise, laud, laudation, good word, meed of praise, tribute of praise, encomium, eulogy, eulogium, eloge, panegyric, homage, hero worship, benediction, blessing, benison, applause, plaudit, clap, clapping, clapping of hands, acclaim, acclamation, cheer, paean, hosannah, shout of applause, peal of applause, chorus of applause, chorus of praise, Prytaneum, approving, in favor of, lost in admiration, commendatory, complimentary, benedictory, laudatory, panegyrical, eulogistic, encomiastic, lavish of praise, uncritical, approved, praised, uncensured, unimpeached, popular, in good odor, in high esteem, in favor, in high favor, deserving of praise, worthy of praise, praiseworthy, commendable, of estimation, good, meritorious, estimable, creditable, plausible, unimpeachable, beyond all praise, with credit, to admiration, well, with three times three, Int, hear hear!, bully for you!, well done!, bravo!, bravissimo!, euge!, macte virtute!, so far so good, that's right, quite right, optime!, one cheer more, may your shadow never be less!, esto perpetua!, long life to!, viva!, enviva!, Godspeed!, valete et plaudite!, encore!, bis!, probatum est, tacent satis laudant, servant of God, well done!.