love

I. love¹ S1 W1 /lʌv/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: adjective: ↑lovable ≠ UNLOVABLE, ↑loveless, ↑lovely, ↑loving, ↑unloved; noun: ↑love, ↑lover, loveliness., ↑lovey; verb: ↑love; adverb: ↑lovingly]
1. ROMANTIC ATTRACTION [transitive not in progressive] to have a strong feeling of ↑affection for someone, combined with sexual attraction:
I love you, Tracy.
He was the only man she had ever loved.
2. CARE ABOUT [transitive not in progressive] to care very much about someone, especially a member of your family or a close friend:
I love my grandad so much.
I’ve always loved children.
much-loved/well-loved
In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident.
Many people feel guilty after the death of a loved one.
3. LIKE/ENJOY [transitive] to like something very much or enjoy doing something very much:
I love carrots.
Jeff loves his work.
I love the way she sings that song.
Amy had always loved New York.
love doing something
I love going out to restaurants.
love to do something
We all love to talk about ourselves.
I’d love to (do something) spoken (=used to say that you would really like to do something)
‘Would you like to come swimming with us?’ ‘I’d love to.’
I’d have loved to have stayed till the end.
I’d love to know just why they did that.
4. LOYALTY [transitive not in progressive] to have a strong feeling of loyalty to your country, an institution etc:
Dad’s always loved the navy.
5. I love it! spoken used when you are amused by something, especially by someone else’s mistake or bad luck:
‘And then her boyfriend walked in and saw her kissing Ray.’ ‘I love it!’
6. sb’s going to love something spoken
a) used to say that someone will enjoy something:
Listen guys, you’re going to love this.
b) used to say that someone will not be pleased about something:
I’m going to love telling him we’ve changed our minds again.
⇨ ↑lover
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ love to like someone very much and care a lot about them – used about people in your family or someone who you are sexually attracted to: I love my wife and children very much. | Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not really meant it?
▪ adore to love and admire someone very much: When she was a child she adored her father.
▪ be in love (with somebody) to feel that you love someone and want to have a romantic relationship with them: We were both young and very much in love. | Karen was in love with a man who was much older than her.
▪ be infatuated with somebody to love someone a lot and keep thinking about them, in a way that seems silly because you do not know them very well: He became infatuated with a woman he met at a conference.
▪ have a crush on somebody to love and be sexually attracted to someone you are not having a relationship with, usually someone older: Jane had a crush on the German teacher.
▪ be crazy about somebody informal to love someone very much – used for emphasis: She’s crazy about you.
▪ be devoted to somebody to love someone very much and give them a lot of attention: He was devoted to his wife and his children.
▪ dote on somebody written to love someone very much, especially a much younger family member, and behave very kindly to them: He dotes on his grandchildren.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

verb

FEEL AFFECTION
1. ~ sb/sth (not used in the progressive tenses) to have very strong feelings of affection for sb
• I love you.
• If you love each other, why not get married?
• Her much-loved brother lay dying of AIDS.
• He had become a well-loved member of staff.
• Relatives need time to grieve over loved ones they have lost.

• to love your country

LIKE/ENJOY

2. to like or enjoy sth very much
Syn: adore
• ~ sth I really love summer evenings.
• I just love it when you bring me presents!
• He loved the way she smiled.
• I love it in Spain (= I like the life there).
• It was one of his best-loved songs.
• (ironic) You're going to love this. They've changed their minds again.
• ~ doing sth (especially in BrE) My dad loves going to football games.
• ~ to do sth (especially NAmE) I love to go out dancing.

• ~ sb/sth to do sth He loved her to sing to him.

3. would love used to say that you would very much like sth
• ~ to do sth Come on Rory, the kids would love to hear you sing.
• I haven't been to Brazil, but I'd love to go.
• ~ sb/sth to do sth I'd love her to come and live with us.
• ~ sth ‘Cigarette?’ ‘I'd love one, but I've just given up.’

Word Origin:
Old English lufu, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit lubhyati ‘desires’, Latin libet ‘it is pleasing’, libido ‘desire’, also by the noun leave and lief.
Thesaurus:
love verb
1. T (not used in the progressive tenses)
• I love you.
care for sb • • be fond of sb • • like • • be devoted to sb • • adore • • idolize • • dote on/upon sb •
Opp: hate, Opp: loathe, Opp: detest
love/care for/be fond of/like/be devoted to/adore/dote on your children
love/care for/be fond of/like/be devoted to/adore your/sb's husband/wife/father/mother
really love/care for/like/adore/idolize/dote on sb
2. T (not usually used in the progressive tenses)
• My dad loves cricket.
adore • • like • • be fond of sth • |BrE, informal be keen on sth •
Opp: hate
love/adore/like/be fond of/be keen on doing sth
I love/adore/like it here/there/when…
love/adore/like the way sb does sth
Love or adore? Adore is more informal than love, and expresses a stronger feeling.
Synonyms:
like
love • be fond of • be keen on sth • adore
These words all mean to find sth pleasant, attractive or satisfactory, or to enjoy sth.
like • to find sth pleasant, attractive or satisfactory; to enjoy sth: ▪ Do you like their new house? ◊ ▪ I like to see them enjoying themselves.
love • to like or enjoy sth very much: ▪ He loved the way she smiled.
be fond of sth • to like or enjoy sth, especially sth you have liked or enjoyed for a long time: ▪ We were fond of the house and didn't want to leave.
be keen on sth • (BrE informal) (often used in negative statements) to like or enjoy sth: ▪ I'm not keen on spicy food. ◊ ▪ She's not keen on being told what to do.
adore • (informal) to like or enjoy sth very much: ▪ She adores working with children.
love or adore?
Adore is more informal than love, and is used to express a stronger feeling.
to like/love/be fond of/be keen on/adore doing sth
to like/love to do sth
to like/love sth very much
I like/love/adore it here/there/when…
to like/love/adore the way sb does sth
to really like/love/adore sb/sth
to be really fond of/keen on sth
Synonyms:
love
like • be fond of sb • adore • be devoted to sb • care for sb • dote on sb
These words all mean to have feelings of love or affection for sb.
love • to have strong feelings of affection for sb: ▪ I love you.
like • to find sb pleasant and enjoy being with them: ▪ She's nice. I like her.
be fond of sb • to feel affection for sb, especially sb you have known for a long time: ▪ I've always been very fond of your mother.
adore • to love sb very much: ▪ It's obvious that she adores him.
be devoted to sb • to love sb very much and be loyal to them: ▪ They are devoted to their children.
care for sb • to love sb, especially in a way that is based on strong affection or a feeling of wanting to protect them, rather than sex: ▪ He cared for her more than she realized.
Care for sb is often used when sb has not told anyone about their feelings or is just starting to be aware of them. It is also used when sb wishes that sb loved them, or doubts that sb does: ▪ If he really cared for you, he wouldn't behave like that.
dote on sb • to feel and show great love for sb, ignoring their faults: ▪ He dotes on his children.
to really love/like/adore/care for/dote on sb
to be really/genuinely fond of/devoted to sb
to love/like/care for sb very much
Example Bank:
• Flowers are universally loved.
• He loved his wife dearly.
• He wanted to be unconditionally loved.
• I absolutely love your shoes!
• I personally love the song.
• She simply loved being involved.
• He had become a well-loved and respected member the team.
• I just love it when you bring me presents!
• I'm loving every minute of this.

• You're going to love this. They've changed their minds again.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

love / lʌv / verb [ T ] (LIKE SOMETHING)

A1 to like something very much:

She loves animals.

I absolutely love chocolate.

He really loves his job.

[ + -ing verb ] I love ski ing .

Love it or hate it, reality TV is here to stay.

would love A2 used, often in requests, to say that you would very much like something:

I'd love a cup of coffee if you're making one.

[ + to infinitive ] She would dearly love to start her own business.

I'd love you to come to dinner some night.

US I'd love for you to come to dinner tonight.

love / lʌv / verb [ T ] (LIKE SOMEONE)

A1 to like another adult very much and be romantically and sexually attracted to them, or to have strong feelings of liking a friend or person in your family:

I love you.

Last night he told me he loved me.

I've only ever loved one man.

I'm sure he loves his kids.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

love

[lʌ̱v]
♦
loves, loving, loved
1) VERB If you love someone, you feel romantically or sexually attracted to them, and they are very important to you.
  [V n] Oh, Amy, I love you...
  [V n] We love each other. We want to spend our lives together.
2) N-UNCOUNT 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.
  ...a old fashioned love story.
  ...an album of love songs.
3) 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.
  [V n] You'll never love anyone the way you love your baby.
4) N-UNCOUNT 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...
  She's got a great capacity for love.
5) VERB If you love something, you like it very much.
  [V n/-ing] We loved the food so much, especially the fish dishes...
  [V n/-ing] I loved reading.
  [V to-inf] ...one of these people that loves to be in the outdoors...
  [V it wh] I love it when I hear you laugh.
6) VERB You can say that you love something when you consider that it is important and want to protect or support it.
  [V n] I love my country as you love yours.
7) N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 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.
  Syn:
  passion
8) N-COUNT: usu 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.
9) VERB If you would love to have or do something, you very much want to have it or do it.
  [V to-inf] I would love to play for England again...
  [V n] I would love a hot bath and clean clothes...
  [V n to-inf] His wife would love him to give up his job.
10) N-VOC (feelings) Some people use love as an affectionate way of addressing someone. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
  Well, I'll take your word for it then, love...
  Don't cry, my love.
  Syn:
  dear
11) NUM In tennis, love is a score of zero.
  He beat Thomas Muster of Austria three sets to love.
12) 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.
13) N-UNCOUNT: poss N 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.
14) → See also -loved, loving, free love, peace-loving, tug-of-love
15) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR with n If you fall in love with someone, you start to be in love with them.
  I fell in love with him because of his kind nature...
  We fell madly in love.
16) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR with n If you fall in love with something, you start to like it very much.
  Working with Ford closely, I fell in love with the cinema.
17) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR with n If you are in love with someone, you feel romantically or sexually attracted to them, and they are very important to you.
  Laura had never before been in love...
  I've never really been in love with anyone...
  We were madly in love for about two years.
18) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR with n If you are in love with something, you like it very much.
  He had always been in love with the enchanted landscape of the West.
19) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR between pl-n If you say that there is no love lost between two people or groups or there is little love lost between them, you mean that they do not like each other at all.
  There was no love lost between the two men who were supposed to be working in harmony on a mounting crisis.
20) PHR-RECIP: V inflects, oft pl-n PHR, PHR to/with n When two people make love, they have sex.
  Have you ever made love to a girl before?...
  One night, after 18 months of friendship, they made love for the first and last time.
21) PHRASE: with brd-neg, PHR after v If you cannot or will not do something for love or money, you are completely unable to do it or you do not intend to do it.
  Replacement parts couldn't be found for love or money...
  I'm not coming back up here. Never, for love nor money.
22) PHRASE: usu it be PHR Love at first sight is the experience of starting to be in love with someone as soon as you see them for the first time.
  It was love at first sight, and he proposed to me six weeks later.
23) labour of love → see labour

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

love

²love verb loves; loved; lov·ing
1 : to feel great affection for (someone) : to feel love for (someone)

[+ obj]

• She obviously loves her family very much.
• To know him is to love him. [=the people who know him feel great affection for him]

[no obj]

• You have to love in order to be loved.
2 [+ obj] : to feel sexual or romantic love for (someone)
• He swore that he loved her madly.
• He loves her, but she doesn't love him back. [=she doesn't return his love]
• She said she could never marry a man she didn't love.
3 [+ obj]
a : to like or desire (something) very much : to take great pleasure in (something)
• He loves good food.
• a much-loved old song
• I would love it if you came with us. = I would love you to come with us. = (US) I would love for you to come with us. [=I would be very happy if you came with us]
- often followed by to + verb
• I would love to have you come with us.
• She loved to play the violin.
• “Would you like to join us?” “Yes, I'd love to (join you).”
- often + -ing verb
• She loved playing the violin.
b informal : to be very amused by (something)
• I just love it [=I find it very amusing] when politicians say that they don't care about polls. = I just love how politicians say that they don't care about polls.
4 [+ obj] : to do very well in (certain specified conditions)
• This plant loves dry soil.
I must love you and leave you Brit informal
- used to say that you have to leave
• I don't want to miss the last train, so I'm afraid I must love you and leave you.
loved one
✦Your loved ones are the people you love, especially members of your family.
• Many of her friends and loved ones visited her in the hospital.