love
love [lŭv] noun
1. A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
2. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.
3. a. Sexual passion. b. Sexual intercourse. c. A love affair.
4. An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.
5. A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.
6. An expression of one's affection: Send him my love.
7. a. A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language. b. The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.
8. Love Mythology. Eros or Cupid.
9. Often Love Theology. Charity.
10. Love Christian Science. God.
11. Sports. A zero score in tennis.
verb
loved, loving, loves
verb, transitive
1. To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward [a person]: We love our parents. I love my friends.
2. To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward [a person].
3. To have an intense emotional attachment to: loves his house.
4. a. To embrace or caress. b. To have sexual intercourse with.
5. To like or desire enthusiastically: loves swimming.
6. Theology. To have charity for.
7. To thrive on; need: The cactus loves hot, dry air.
verb, intransitive
To experience deep affection or intense desire for another.
idiom.
for love
Out of compassion; with no thought for a reward: She volunteers at the hospital for love.
for love or money
Under any circumstances. Usually used in negative sentences: I would not do that for love or money.
for the love of
For the sake of; in consideration for: did it all for the love of praise.
no love lost
No affection; animosity: There's no love lost between them.
[Middle English, from Old English lufu.]
Synonyms: love, affection, devotion, fondness, infatuation. These nouns denote feelings of warm personal attachment or strong attraction to another person. Love suggests a more intense feeling than that associated with the other words of this group: married for love. Affection is a less ardent and more unvarying feeling of tender regard: parental affection. Devotion is earnest, affectionate dedication; it implies a more selfless, often more abiding feeling than love: The devotion of the aged couple is inspiring. Fondness is strong liking or affection: showed their fondness for their grandchildren by financing their education. Infatuation is foolish or extravagant attraction, often of short duration: Their infatuation blinded them to the fundamental differences in their points of view. See also synonyms at like1.