/ lʌv; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
AFFECTION
1.
[ U ] a strong feeling of deep affection for sb/sth, especially a member of your family or a friend :
a mother's love for her children
love of your country
He seems incapable of love.
ROMANTIC
2.
[ U ] a strong feeling of affection for sb that you are sexually attracted to :
a love song / story
We're in love !
She was in love with him .
They fell in love with each other.
It was love at first sight (= they were attracted to each other the first time they met) .
They're madly in love .
Their love grew with the years.
ENJOYMENT
3.
[ U , sing. ] the strong feeling of enjoyment that sth gives you :
a love of learning
He's in love with his work.
I fell in love with the house.
SB / STH YOU LIKE
4.
[ C ] a person, a thing or an activity that you like very much :
Take care, my love.
He was the love of my life (= the person I loved most) .
I like most sports but tennis is my first love .
FRIENDLY NAME
5.
[ C ] ( BrE , informal ) a word used as a friendly way of addressing sb :
Can I help you, love?
—compare duck
IN TENNIS
6.
[ U ] a score of zero (points or games) :
40–love!
She won the first set six–love / six games to love .
•
IDIOMS
- (just) for love | (just) for the love of sth
- for the love of God
- give / send my love to sb
- love from | lots of love (from)
- love is blind
- make love (to sb)
- not for love or / nor money
- there's little / no love lost between A and B
—more at cupboard , fair adjective , head noun , labour noun
■ verb
FEEL AFFECTION
1.
[ vn ] (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 :
[ vn ]
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.
[ v -ing ] (especially in BrE )
My dad loves going to football games.
[ v to inf ] ( especially NAmE )
I love to go out dancing.
[ vn to inf ]
He loved her to sing to him.
➡ note at like
3.
would love used to say that you would very much like sth : [ v to inf ]
Come on Rory, the kids would love to hear you sing.
I haven't been to Brazil, but I'd love to go.
[ vn to inf ]
I'd love her to come and live with us.
[ vn ]
'Cigarette?' 'I'd love one, but I've just given up.'
•
IDIOMS
- love you and leave you
••
SYNONYMS
love
like ♦ be fond of ♦ adore ♦ be devoted to ♦ care for ♦ dote on/upon
These words all mean to 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.
NOTE
Care for 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.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
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
to love / adore sb passionately
••
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 .