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for love

 - 3 dictionary results

love

  [luhv] noun, verb, loved, lov⋅ing.
Use for love in a Sentence
–noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
5. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
6. a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.
7. sexual intercourse; copulation.
8. (initial capital letter) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.
9. affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's neighbor.
10. strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.
11. the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.
12. the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.
13. Chiefly Tennis. a score of zero; nothing.
14. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.
–verb (used with object)
15. to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.
16. to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).
17. to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.
18. to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.
19. to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.
20. to have sexual intercourse with.
–verb (used without object)
21. to have love or affection for another person; be in love.
—Verb phrase
22. love up, to hug and cuddle: She loves him up every chance she gets.
—Idioms
23. for love,
a. out of affection or liking; for pleasure.
b. without compensation; gratuitously: He took care of the poor for love.
24. for the love of, in consideration of; for the sake of: For the love of mercy, stop that noise.
25. in love, infused with or feeling deep affection or passion: a youth always in love.
26. in love with, feeling deep affection or passion for (a person, idea, occupation, etc.); enamored of: in love with the girl next door; in love with one's work.
27. make love,
a. to embrace and kiss as lovers.
b. to engage in sexual activity.
28. no love lost, dislike; animosity: There was no love lost between the two brothers.
Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE lufu, c. OFris luve, OHG luba, Goth lubō; (v.) ME lov(i)en, OE lufian; c. OFris luvia, OHG lubōn to love, L lubēre (later libēre) to be pleasing; akin to lief

Synonyms:
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.

Antonyms:
1, 2. hatred, dislike. 15, 16. detest, hate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To for love
love   (lŭv)   
n.  

  1. A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.

  2. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance.

    1. Sexual passion.

    2. Sexual intercourse.

    3. A love affair.

    4. A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language.

    5. The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.

  4. An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object.

  5. A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.

  6. An expression of one's affection: Send him my love.

    1. A strong predilection or enthusiasm: a love of language.

    2. The object of such an enthusiasm: The outdoors is her greatest love.

  8. Love Mythology Eros or Cupid.

  9. often Love Christianity Charity.

  10. Sports A zero score in tennis.

v.   loved, lov·ing, loves

v.   tr.

  1. To have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward (a person): We love our parents. I love my friends.

  2. To have a feeling of intense desire and attraction toward (a person).

  3. To have an intense emotional attachment to: loves his house.

    1. To embrace or caress.

    2. To have sexual intercourse with.

  5. To like or desire enthusiastically: loves swimming.

  6. Theology To have charity for.

  7. To thrive on; need: The cactus loves hot, dry air.

v.   intr.
To experience deep affection or intense desire for another.

[Middle English, from Old English lufu; see leubh- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These nouns denote feelings of warm personal attachment or strong attraction to another person. Love is the most intense: marrying for love.
Affection is a less ardent and more unvarying feeling of tender regard: parental affection.
Devotion is earnest, affectionate dedication and implies selflessness: teachers admired for their devotion to children.
Fondness is strong liking or affection: a fondness for small animals.
Infatuation is foolish or extravagant attraction, often of short duration: lovers blinded to their differences by their mutual infatuation.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

love  (v.)
O.E. lufian, from P.Gmc. *lubojanan, from root of love (n.). Love-hate (adj.) "ambivalent" is from 1937, originally a term in psychological jargon.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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