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Love Definition

love

See also Love, løve, lőve, and lové

Contents

English

Wikipedia has an article on: Love (disambiguation)

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English, from Old English lufu (“love, affection, desire”), from Proto-Germanic *lubō (“love”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-, *leubʰ- (“love, care, desire”). Cognate with Old Frisian luve (“love”), Old High German luba (“love”). Related to Old English lēof (“dear, beloved”), līefan (“to allow, approve of”), Latin libet, lubō (“to please”). More at lief.

Noun

love (countable and uncountable; plural loves)

  1. (uncountable) An intense feeling of affection and care towards another person.
    A mother’s love is not easily shaken.
  2. (uncountable) A deep or abiding liking for something.
    My love of cricket knows no bounds.
  3. (uncountable) A profound and caring attraction towards someone.
    Your love is the most important thing in my life.
  4. (countable) The object of one’s romantic feelings; a darling or sweetheart
    I met my love by the gasworks wall.
  5. (colloquial) A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings.
    Hello, love, how can I help you?
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations
strong affection
  • Latin: amor (la) m., caritas (la) f.
  • Latvian: mīlestība (lv) f., mīla (lv) f.
  • Lithuanian: meilė (lt)
  • Luhya: vuyanzi
  • Luxembourgish: Léift (lb) f.
  • Macedonian: љубов (mk) (ljúbov) f.
  • Maori: aroha (mi)
  • Meru: wendo
  • Meänkieli: rakhaus
  • Nanticoke: quámmősch
  • Norwegian: kjærlighet (no)
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kjærleik (nn)
  • Novial: amo (nov)
  • Okinawan: なさき (nasaki)
  • Old Provençal: amor
  • Old Prussian: mīli (prg)
  • Ossetian: уарзондзинад
  • Persian: عشق (fa) ('ešq), مهر (fa) (mehr)
  • Polish: miłość (pl) f.
  • Portuguese: amor (pt)
  • Punjabi: ਪਿਆਰ (pa) (piār) m.
  • Romanian: iubire (ro), dragoste (ro), amor (ro)
  • Romansch: charezza (rm) f.
  • Russian: любовь (ru) (ljubóv’) f.
  • Samoan: alofa (sm)
  • Sanskrit: प्रीतिः (sa) (prītiḥ)
  • Scottish Gaelic: gràdh (gd) m., spèis (gd) f., rùn (gd) m.
  • Serbo-Croatian: љу́бав (sh) (ljubav) f.
  • Sindhi: محبت (sd) (mahbbàtà) f., عشق (sd) ('išqù) m., پیار (sd) (pyārù) m., لَنو (sd) (lôve) m.
  • Sinhalese: ආදරය (si) (ādaraya)
  • Slovak: láska (sk) f.
  • Slovene: ljubezen (sl) f.
  • Spanish: amor (es) m.
  • Swahili: upendo (sw)
  • Swedish: kärlek (sv) c.
  • Tagalog: pag-ibig; pagmamahal
  • Tajik: муҳаббат (tg) (muhabbat), ишқ (tg) (išq)
  • Tamil: அன்பு (ta), பாசம் (ta)
  • Tatar: ярату (tt) (jaratu)
  • Telugu: ప్రేమ (te) (prEma)
  • Thai: ความรัก (th) (khwamrak)
  • Turkish: sevgi (tr), aşk (tr)
  • Turkmen: yşk (tk), söýgi (tk)
  • Ukrainian: любов (uk) (ljubóv) f., кохання (uk) (koxánnja) n.
  • Urdu: محبت (ur) (muhabbat) f., عشق (ur) ('išq) m., پیار (ur) (pyār) m.
  • Uyghur: (muhebbet)
  • Uzbek: sevgi (uz), muhabbat (uz)
  • Vietnamese: tình yêu (vi)
  • Volapük: löf (vo), lelöf (vo)
  • Welsh: cariad (cy) m.
  • West Frisian: leafde (fy)
  • Yakut: таптал (taptal)
  • Yiddish: אַהבֿה (yi) (aave) f. ([divine] love), ליבע (yi) (libe) f. (love, love affair, romance), ליבשאַפֿט (yi) (libshaft) f. (love, fondness, affection)
  • Zulu: uthando (zu)
romantic feelings
darling or sweetheart
  • Albanian: dashur (i/e)
  • Arabic: حبيب (ar) (Habiib) m., حبيبة (ar) (Habiiba) f., (when addressing) حبيبي (ar) (Habiibi)
  • Armenian: սեր (hy) (ser)
  • Basque: laztana
  • Breton: karantez (br), karantezig (br)
  • Catalan: amor (ca) m.
  • Cebuano: hinigugma
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 情人 (cmn) (qíngrén), 戀人 (cmn), 恋人 (cmn) (liànrén), 親愛的 (cmn), 亲爱的 (cmn) (qīn'ài-de), 寶貝 (cmn), 宝贝 (cmn) (bǎobèi), 甜心 (cmn) (tiánxīn)
    Min Nan: 愛人仔 (ài-jîn-á/ài-lîn-á), 情人 (chîng-jîn/chîng-lîn)
  • Czech: lásko (cs) f.
  • Danish: skat (da), søde (da), elskede (da), kæreste (da) c.
  • Dutch: schat (nl)
  • Esperanto: amato (eo)
  • Ewe: lɔlɔ̃
  • Filipino:
    second person: irog, mahal, sinta
    third person: iniibig, iniirog, irog, kasintahan, syota (informal)
  • Finnish: rakas (fi), kulta (fi)
  • French: amour (fr) m.
  • German: Liebe (de) f., Liebling (de) m., Liebes (de), Lieber (de), Schatz (de) m.
  • Greek: αγάπη (el) (agápi) f.
  • Hebrew: אהוב (he) (ahúv) m., אהובה (he) (ahuvá) f.
  • Irish: rún (ga) m., grá (ga) m.
  • Italian: amore (it) m.
  • Japanese: 恋人 (ja) (こいびと, koibito)
  • Korean: 연인 (yeon-in) 자기 (jagi: colloquial)
  • Kyrgyz: жан (žan)
  • Latin: amātor (la) m., amātrix (la) f.
  • Latvian: mīļais (lv) m., mīļā (lv) f., mīļums (lv) f., mīla (lv) m. and f.
  • Luxembourgish: , Häerzi (lb) m.
  • Macedonian: љубен (mk) (ljúben) m., љубена (mk) (ljúbena) f.
  • Malayalam: കാമുകി (പെണ്ണ്) (ml) (kamuki (female)), കാമുകന്‍ (ആണ്) (ml) (kamukan (male))
  • Norwegian: elskling (no) m., kjæreste (no), min elskede (no), kjære (no)
  • Persian: عزیز (fa) ('aziz), دلبر (fa) (delbar), جان (fa) (jân)
  • Polish: kochanie (pl), miłość (pl) f.
  • Portuguese: amor (pt)
  • Romanian: iubit (ro), iubită (ro)
  • Russian: любимый (ru) (ljubímyj) m., любимая (ru) (ljubímaja) f.
  • Scottish Gaelic: leannan m., gràdh m., gaol m., gràidhean m., gràidheag f., rùn m.
  • Slovak: láska (sk) f.
  • Slovene: ljubi (sl) m., ljuba f.
  • Spanish: amor (es) m., cariño (es) m.
  • Swahili: upendo (sw)
  • Swedish: älskling (sv) c., käresta (sv), älskade (sv)
  • Tagalog:
    second person: irog, mahal, sinta
    third person: iniibig, iniirog, irog, kasintahan, syota (informal)
  • Telugu: ప్రియురాలు (priyurAlu)
  • Thai: ที่รัก (thirak), ยาหยี (yááyee), สุดที่รัก (sûd-tee-rak), คนรัก (kon-rak), หวานใจ (th)
  • Turkish: sevgilim (tr), aşkım (tr)
  • Urdu: جان (jān) f.
  • Vietnamese: cưng (vi)
  • Welsh: cariad (cy)
  • West Frisian: skat, leave, leafke
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
  • Guaraní: ayhu (t-)
  • Indonesian: cinta (id), kasih (id), sayang (id)
  • Korean: 사랑 (sarang), 연애 (yeon-ae: emphasizes the partnership)
  • Tagalog: mahal; irog; sinta; (colloq.: ney; lab; t'hart); pag-ibig; magmamahal
  • Tupinambá: aûsuba (t-)
  • Volapük: löf

Verb

love (third-person singular simple present loves, present participle loving, simple past and past participle loved)

  1. (transitive) To have a strong affection for.
    I love my spouse.
    I love you.
    • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot Chapter VI
      "I know how difficult your position is," I said; "but don't feel that you are alone. There is--is one here who--who would do anything in the world for you," I ended lamely. She did not withdraw her hand, and she looked up into my face with tears on her cheeks and I read in her eyes the thanks her lips could not voice. Then she looked away across the weird moonlit landscape and sighed. Evidently her new-found philosophy had tumbled about her ears, for she was seemingly taking herself seriously. I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her how I loved her, and had taken her hand from the rail and started to draw her toward me when Olson came blundering up on deck with his bedding.
  2. (transitive) To need, thrive on.
    Mold loves moist, dark places.
  3. (transitive, colloquial) To be strongly inclined towards something; an emphatic form of like.
    I love walking barefoot on wet grass.
    I'd love to join the team.
    I love what you've done with your hair.
  4. (transitive) To care deeply about, to be dedicated to.
    "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and your whole mind, and your whole soul; you shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 22:37-38)
  5. (transitive) To derive delight from a fact or situation.
    I love the fact that the coffee shop now offers fat-free chai latte.
  6. (transitive) To lust for.
  7. (transitive, euphemistic) To have sex with, (perhaps from make love.)
    I wish I could love her all night long.
Antonyms
Translations
have a strong affection for
  • Latin: amō (la)
  • Latvian: mīlēt (lv)
  • Lithuanian: mylėti (lt)
  • Lojban: prami (jbo)
  • Luo: hero
  • Luxembourgish: gär hunn (lb)
  • Macedonian: љуби (mk) (ljúbi), сака (mk) (sáka)
  • Malayalam: ഇഷ്ടപ്പെടുക (ml) (ishtappeduka)
  • Maltese: ħabb (mt)
  • Marathi: प्रेम (prem)
  • Marshallese: yokwe
  • Mogholi: täla
  • Nahuatl: tlajsoa (nah)
  • Norwegian: elske (no)
  • Novial: ama
  • Old Church Slavonic: любити (ljubiti)
  • Old English: frēoġan (ang)
  • Old Frisian: minnia
  • Old Provençal: amar
  • Persian: دوست داشتن (fa) (dust dâštan), عشق داشتن (fa) ('ešq dâštan), عاشق بودن (fa) ('âšeq budan), مهر ورزیدن (fa) (mehr varzidan)
  • Polish: kochać (pl)
  • Portuguese: amar (pt)
  • Quechua: waylluy
  • Romani: kamel
  • Romanian: iubi, (se) îndrăgosti, adora
  • Romansch: avair gugent, charezzar (rm)
  • Russian: любить (ru) (ljubít’)
  • Sanskrit: please add this translation if you can
  • Serbian: voleti (sr), волети (sr), ljubiti (sr), љубити (sr)
  • Slovak: milovať (sk), ľúbiť (sk)
  • Slovene: ljubiti (sl), imeti rad (sl)
  • Spanish: amar (es), querer (es)
  • Sumerian: 𒆠𒉘 (KI.ÁG)
  • Swahili: kupenda (sw)
  • Swedish: älska (sv)
  • Tagalog: ibig (tl), mahal (tl)
  • Tajik: дӯст доштан (tg) (dūst doštan), ишқ варзидан (tg) (išq varzidan)
  • Tamil: காதலி (romantic love), அன்பு செலுத்து (common love)
  • Tatar: яратырга (tt) (yaratırğa)
  • Thai: รัก (th) (rak)
  • Tupinambá: aûsub (s-)
  • Turkish: sevmek (tr)
  • Turkmen: söÿmek (tk), sövmek (tk)
  • Ukrainian: любити (uk) (ljubýty), кохати (uk) (koxáty)
  • Urdu: پیار کرنا (ur) (pyār karnā)
  • Vietnamese: yêu (vi)
  • Volapük: löfön (vo)
  • Welsh: caru (cy)
  • West Frisian: leaf hawwe, hâlde fan, beminne, leavje (fy)
  • Wolof: mbëggéel (wo), mbeugeil (wo)
  • !Xóõ: ǀnàm, tsāha, tào
to need, thrive on
  • Filipino: mahilig
  • Hebrew: אהב (he) (aháv)
  • Hindi: बहुत चाहना (hi)
  • Macedonian: сака (mk) (sáka)
  • Swahili: upendo (sw)
  • Tagalog: mahilig (tl)
  • West Frisian: graach meie oer
be strongly inclined towards doing
care about; will good for
  • Adangme: suɔ
  • Cebuano: pagtagad
  • Chinese:
    Simplified: 爱 (ài), 爱慕 (àimù), 疼爱 (téng’ài)
    Traditional: 愛, 愛慕, 疼愛
  • Danish: elske (da)
  • Finnish: rakastaa (fi)
  • German: lieben (de), ehren (de)
  • Greek: εκτιμώ (el) (ektimó), αγαπώ (el) (ağapó)
  • Hebrew: אהב (he) (aháv)
  • Korean: 애정 (aejeong)
  • Latin: diligo (la)
  • Norwegian: elske (no)
  • Old English: frēoġan (ang)
  • Polish: kochać (pl)
  • Portuguese: amar (pt)
  • Romanian: admira, ține la, păsa de
  • Slovak: milovať
  • Swahili: upendo (sw)
  • Swedish: älska (sv)
  • Vietnamese: yêu (vi)
  • West Frisian: leaf hawwe, jouwe om, hâlde fan
to lust for
  • Filipino: nanasa
  • Hebrew: רצה (he) (ratzá)
  • Swahili: upendo (sw)
  • Tagalog: nanasa (tl)
  • Turkish: arzulamak (tr) c.
(euphemistic): to have sex with
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
  • Albanian: dashuroj, dua
  • Breton: karet, radical kar-
  • Guaraní: ayhu (ah-)
  • Hebrew: לעשות אהבה (he) (la`asót ahavá), לתנות אהבים (he) (letanót ahavím)
  • Indonesian: cinta, kasih, sayang
  • Kuna: sabgue
  • Interlingua: amar
  • Latin: amo
  • Tupinambá: aûsub (s-)

Derived terms

Terms derived from the noun or verb love

Related terms

See also

Etymology 2

From Middle English loven, lovien, from Old English lofian (“to praise, exalt, appraise, value”), from Proto-Germanic *lubōnan (“to praise, vow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leubʰ- (“to like, love, desire”). Cognate with Scots love, lofe (“to praise, honour, esteem”), Dutch loven (“to praise”), German loben (“to praise”), Swedish lova (“to promise, pledge”), Icelandic lofa (“to promise”). See also lofe.

Verb

love (third-person singular simple present loves, present participle loving, simple past and past participle loved)

  1. (transitive, obsolete or UK dialectal) To praise; commend.
  2. (transitive, obsolete or UK dialectal) To praise as of value; prize; set a price on.

Etymology 3

From the phrase Neither for love nor for money, meaning "nothing".

The previously held belief that it originated from the French term l’œuf (“the egg”), due to its shape, is no longer widely accepted.

Noun

love (uncountable)

  1. (racquet sports) zero, no score.
    So that’s fifteen-love to Kournikova.
Translations
zero

Statistics

Anagrams

Czech

Noun

love

  1. (slang) money

Danish

Etymology 1

See lov

Pronunciation

Noun

love c.

  1. plural indefinite of lov

Etymology 2

From Middle Low German lōve.

Pronunciation

Noun

love c.

  1. trust, faith
Related terms

Etymology 3

From Old Norse lofa.

Pronunciation

Verb

love (imperative lov, infinitive at love, present tense lover, past tense lovede, past participle har lovet)

  1. praise
  2. promise

Dutch

Verb

love

  1. singular present subjunctive of loven.

Anagrams

French

Verb

love

  1. first-person singular present indicative of lover
  2. third-person singular present indicative of lover
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of lover
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of lover
  5. second-person singular imperative of lover

Anagrams

Middle English

Noun

love (plural loves)

  1. love

Norwegian

Etymology

Old Norse lofa

Verb

love

  1. To praise.
  2. To promise.

Romani

Noun

love

  1. Plural form of lovo.
  2. money

Descendants

 

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