loving

[ luhv-ing ]

/ ˈlʌv ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR loving ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

feeling or showing love; warmly affectionate; fond: loving glances.

Origin of loving

before 1000; Middle English lovyng; replacing Middle English lovende, Old English lufiende. See love, -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM loving

lov·ing·ly, adverb lov·ing·ness, noun non·lov·ing, adjective un·lov·ing, adjective

Words nearby loving

loves park, lovesick, lovesome, lovey, lovey-dovey, loving, loving cup, loving-kindness, lovingest, low, low beam

Definition for loving (2 of 2)

love

[ luhv ]

/ lʌv /

noun

a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

sexual passion or desire.

a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.

(used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?

a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.

sexual intercourse; copulation.

(initial capital letter) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.

affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's neighbor.

strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.

the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.

the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.

Chiefly Tennis. a score of zero; nothing.

a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.

verb (used with object), loved, lov·ing.

to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.

to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).

to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.

to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.

to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.

to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object), loved, lov·ing.

to have love or affection for another person; be in love.

Verb Phrases

love up, to hug and cuddle: She loves him up every chance she gets.

Origin of love

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English lufu, cognate with Old Frisian luve, Old High German luba, Gothic lubō; (v.) Middle English lov(i)en, Old English lufian; cognate with Old Frisian luvia, Old High German lubōn to love, Latin lubēre (later libēre) to be pleasing; akin to lief

SYNONYMS FOR love

1 tenderness, fondness, predilection, warmth, passion, adoration.

1, 2 Love, affection, devotion all mean a deep and enduring emotional regard, usually for another person. Love may apply to various kinds of regard: the charity of the Creator, reverent adoration toward God or toward a person, the relation of parent and child, the regard of friends for each other, romantic feelings for another person, etc. Affection is a fondness for others that is enduring and tender, but calm. Devotion is an intense love and steadfast, enduring loyalty to a person; it may also imply consecration to a cause.

2 liking, inclination, regard, friendliness.

15 like.

16 adore, adulate, worship.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR love ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR love

1, 2 hatred, dislike.

15, 16 detest, hate.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR love ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM love

out·love, verb (used with object), out·loved, out·lov·ing. o·ver·love, verb, o·ver·loved, o·ver·lov·ing.

Example sentences from the Web for loving

For whatever reason, I grew up watching and loving horror movies—perhaps as a reaction to the environment I was growing up in.

Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel |Marlow Stern |December 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
On the opposite end of the spectrum are two other standout works, which depict Mary as a loving, nurturing mother.

The Virgin Mary Lookbook |William O’Connor |December 7, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Amelia must do this every day in loving Samuel—who often appears as a reminder of the irreparable past and death of Oskar.

‘The Babadook’ Is the Best (and Most Sincere) Horror Movie of the Year |Samuel Fragoso |November 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But she soldiered on to the end, a loving and faithful companion in victory and defeat.

Boris Johnson’s Churchill Man Crush |Michael F. Bishop |November 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

In The Theory of Everything, the “master of the universe” is depicted as a gentle man and loving—albeit conflicted—husband.

The Other Side of Stephen Hawking: Strippers, Aliens, and Disturbing Abuse Claims |Marlow Stern |November 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
She almost always wore a pleasant smile on her rosy lips; a light of loving tenderness generally shone in her soft blue eyes.

Minnie Brown |Daniel Wise
Hermione, on the other hand, was gifted as a linguist, loving languages and learning them easily.

The Call of the Blood |Robert Smythe Hichens
It is not only loving birds that build their nests and rear their young over the horns of forgotten fears, but, alas!

Demonology and Devil-lore |Moncure Daniel Conway
He has a singularly pure and fine power of selecting and loving what is best in books.

Joyous Gard |Arthur Christopher Benson
It was the aching, loving heart of humanity for which he wept, that needed God so awfully, and could not yet trust in him.

The Seaboard Parish, Complete |George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for loving (1 of 2)

loving

/ (ˈlʌvɪŋ) /

adjective

feeling, showing, or indicating love and affection

Derived forms of loving

lovingly, adverb lovingness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for loving (2 of 2)

love

/ (lʌv) /

verb

(tr) to have a great attachment to and affection for

(tr) to have passionate desire, longing, and feelings for

(tr) to like or desire (to do something) very much

(tr) to make love to

(intr) to be in love

noun

an intense emotion of affection, warmth, fondness, and regard towards a person or thing
(as modifier)love song; love story

a deep feeling of sexual attraction and desire

wholehearted liking for or pleasure in something

Christianity

God's benevolent attitude towards man
man's attitude of reverent devotion towards God

Also: my love a beloved person: used esp as an endearment

British informal a term of address, esp but not necessarily for a person regarded as likable

(in tennis, squash, etc) a score of zero

fall in love to become in love

for love without payment

for love or money (used with a negative) in any circumstances I wouldn't eat a snail for love or money

for the love of for the sake of

in love in a state of strong emotional attachment and usually sexual attraction

make love

to have sexual intercourse (with)
archaic to engage in courtship (with)

Other words from love

Related adjective: amatory

Word Origin for love

Old English lufu; related to Old High German luba; compare also Latin libēre (originally lubēre) to please

Idioms and Phrases with loving (1 of 2)

loving

see tender loving care.

Idioms and Phrases with loving (2 of 2)

love

In addition to the idioms beginning with love

love affair
love at first sight

also see:

all's fair in love and war
course of true love
fall in love
for the love of
labor of love
make love
misery loves company
no love lost
not for love or money
puppy love
somebody up there loves me

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

loving

adjective

Origin of loving

OTHER WORDS FROM loving

Words nearby loving

Definition for loving (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used with object), loved, lov·ing.

verb (used without object), loved, lov·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of love

SYNONYMS FOR love

ANTONYMS FOR love

OTHER WORDS FROM love

Example sentences from the Web for loving

British Dictionary definitions for loving (1 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of loving

British Dictionary definitions for loving (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Other words from love

Word Origin for love

Idioms and Phrases with loving (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with loving (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

loving

adjective

Origin of loving

OTHER WORDS FROM loving

Words nearby loving

Definition for loving (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used with object), loved, lov·ing.

verb (used without object), loved, lov·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of love

SYNONYMS FOR love

ANTONYMS FOR love

OTHER WORDS FROM love

Words related to loving

Example sentences from the Web for loving

British Dictionary definitions for loving (1 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of loving

British Dictionary definitions for loving (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Other words from love

Word Origin for love

Idioms and Phrases with loving (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with loving (2 of 2)