love
/lʌv/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A strong positive emotion of regard and affection: A deep feeling of warm personal attachment, care, and devotion.
- A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction: Romantic or passionate affection for someone.
- A beloved person; a term of endearment: A person who is dearly loved.
- Any object of warm affection or devotion: A great enthusiasm or liking for an activity, concept, or thing.
- A score of zero in tennis or squash: Representing no points scored.
- Sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse): Acts of physical intimacy.
Verb:
- To have a great affection or liking for: To feel deep affection or fondness for a person, thing, or activity.
- To be enamored or in love with: To feel romantic or passionate love for someone.
- To get pleasure from: To enjoy or take delight in something.
- To have sexual intercourse with: (Formal/archaic) To engage in a sexual act with someone.
Examples
Noun:
- His love for his children is unconditional.
- She wrote a poem about her first love.
- "Come here, my love," she said to her daughter.
- His love for painting began in childhood.
- The score is fifteen-love.
- The film explores themes of love and betrayal.
Verb:
- I love my family deeply.
- He loves her and wants to marry her.
- I love walking in the rain.
- She loves classical music.
Advanced Usage
"To be in love (with)": To experience romantic love for someone.
- They have been in love since high school.
"To fall in love (with)": To begin to experience romantic love for someone.
- He fell in love with her smile.
"To make love (to)": To engage in sexual intercourse (with someone).
- The couple made love for the first time on their wedding night.
"For the love of...": Used to express exasperation or to indicate the reason for an action is a deep care for something.
- For the love of God, please be quiet!
- He does this job for the love of art, not the money.
Variants and Related Words
- Lover (n): A partner in a sexual or romantic relationship outside marriage; or a person who enjoys a specified thing. (e.g., ).
- Loving (adj): Feeling or showing love or great care. (e.g., ).
- Loveless (adj): Without love. (e.g., ).
- Lovely (adj): Exquisitely beautiful; or very pleasant. (e.g., , ).
- Beloved (adj/n): Deeply loved; a much loved person.
Synonyms
- Noun: Affection, adoration, fondness, devotion, passion, infatuation, darling, dear, zero.
- Verb: Adore, cherish, treasure, be fond of, enjoy, relish.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
- Love up (informal): To hug, kiss, or caress affectionately.
- She loves up her dog every time she comes home.
Related Idioms
Labour of love: A task done for pleasure, not reward.
- Restoring the old car was a labour of love for him.
Love is blind: People in love do not see the faults of the person they love.
- He thinks she's perfect, but love is blind.
No love lost (between): Used to indicate mutual dislike.
- There's no love lost between the two rival managers.
For love or money: By any means whatsoever (used in negative contexts).
- You can't find a taxi for love or money in this rain.
Play for love: To play a game for enjoyment, not for money or high stakes.
- We're just playing cards for love tonight.
Verb
- have sexual intercourse with
- This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm
- Adam knew Eve
- Were you ever intimate with this man?
- be enamored or in love with
- She loves her husband deeply
- get pleasure from
- I love cooking
- have a great affection or liking for
- I love French food
- She loves her boss and works hard for him
Noun
- sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people
- his lovemaking disgusted her
- he hadn't had any love in months
- he has a very complicated love life
- a score of zero in tennis or squash
- it was 40 love
- a deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction
- their love left them indifferent to their surroundings
- she was his first love
- a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
- any object of warm affection or devotion;
- the theater was her first love
- he has a passion for cock fighting
- a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
- his love for his work
- children need a lot of love