I. noun
1.
the feeling which animates a person who is genuinely fond of someone or something
a mother's love for her child
Synonyms: affection, attachment, devotion, fondness
Related Word: like(s), liking, regard; adoration, idolatry, piety, worship; allegiance, fealty, fidelity, loyalty; emotion, sentiment; crush, infatuation, passion, yearning; ardency, ardor, enthusiasm, fervor, zeal
Contrasted words: antipathy, aversion; animosity, animus, enmity, hostility, rancor; abhorrence, detestation, hatred
Antonyms: hate
2.
the affection and tenderness felt by lovers
the ability to distinguish between love and lust was the mark of her maturity
Synonyms: amorousness, amour, passion
Related Word: crush, infatuation; desire, lust, yearning; ardency, ardor, fervor
Idioms: (the) tender passion
3.
Synonyms: love affair , affair, amour, romance
4.
Synonyms: sweetheart 1, beloved, darling, dear, honey, honeybunch, loveling, sweet, sweetling, turtledove
II. verb
1.
to like or desire actively
she loves her material possessions all too dearly
Synonyms: adore, delight (in), ||eat up
Related Word: appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value; dote (on or upon), fancy
Idioms: hold dear
Contrasted words: abjure, give up, reject, relinquish
2.
to feel a lover's passion, devotion, or tenderness for
in spite of all their misfortunes, they continued to love each other devotedly
Synonyms: adore, affection, worship
Related Word: deify, exalt, idolize, revere, venerate; cherish, dote (on or upon); admire, fancy, like
Contrasted words: avoid, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook, shun, slight
3.
Synonyms: caress , cosset, cuddle, dandle, fondle, pet