love1 verblove2 noun
lovelove1 /lʌv/ ●●● S1 W1 verb 
VERB TABLE
love
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | love |
| he, she, it | loves | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | loved |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have loved |
| he, she, it | has loved | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had loved |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will love |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have loved |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a much-loved author
- Ben loves swimming, playing tennis, those kinds of thing.
- Cassie works in the theatre, and she really loves it.
- He loved his stepdaughter as if she were his own child.
- He stroked her hair and murmured, "I love you."
- I love you, Betty.
- I really believed that my parents didn't love me.
- It's incredible how much she loves those two kids.
- She loved to sit in the park and feed the ducks.
- Tom was the only man she had ever loved.
- We still love each other very much.
- And even crazier to have told him that she loved him.
- Because he just loves to write.
- I love to hear applause between movements.
- I love you so much now, it hurts!
- It is a heady, exhilarating feeling, and I love it.
- Just relax and let me love you.
- You needn't love boxing-or even care for it-to appreciate Toole's highly accomplished debut.
THESAURUS
to like someone very much and care a lot about them – used especially about people in your family or someone who you are sexually attracted to: · I love my wife and children very much.· Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not really meant it?
to love and admire someone very much: · When she was a child she adored her father.
to feel that you love someone and want to have a romantic relationship with them: · We were both young and very much in love.· Karen was in love with a man who was much older than her.
to love someone a lot and keep thinking about them, in a way that seems silly because you do not know them very well: · He became infatuated with a woman he met at a conference.
to love and be sexually attracted to someone you are not having a relationship with, usually someone older: · Jane had a crush on the German teacher.
informal to love someone very much – used for emphasis: · She’s crazy about you.
to love someone very much and give them a lot of attention: · He was devoted to his wife and his children.
written to love someone very much, especially a much younger family member, and behave very kindly to them: · He dotes on his grandchildren.
Longman Language Activatorto love someone especially in a sexual or romantic way to have a strong feeling of liking someone, caring about them, and being sexually attracted to them: · He stroked her hair and murmured, "I love you."· He was the only man she had ever loved.love somebody very much: · We still love each other very much.
to love someone very much, so that you think about them all the time and want to be with them all the time: · I think I'm in love!be in love with: · How can you marry Adam when you're in love with someone else?be madly in love/very much in love (=very strongly in love): · We were both seventeen and madly in love.
informal to love someone very much, especially in a way that you cannot control: · Jo's crazy about you.
British spoken to be sexually attracted to someone, especially someone that you do not know very well: · All the girls fancy Bob.· I think Stevie fancies you.
if someone, especially a young person, has a crush on someone they have an uncontrollable feeling of love for them, especially when there is no chance of having a relationship with them: · It is quite normal for adolescents to have crushes on pop stars.· The only reason I went to church every Sunday was that I had a crush on the minister.
to have a strong and uncontrollable feeling of love for someone you do not know very well, which does not last for a long time: · Ever since she met Rod at a party she's been totally infatuated.be infatuated with: · Teenage girls sometimes become infatuated with their teachers.
to be so much in love with someone that you do not behave sensibly or think clearly: · She was too besotted to see what he was really like.be besotted with: · He was obviously besotted with Julia.
to start to love someone to begin to be in love with someone: · I suddenly realized that I'd fallen in love.fall in love with: · I think I fell in love with Ralph the first time I met him.
to suddenly start to love someone a lot: · I met Sam at college, and immediately fell head-over-heels in love with him.· I was head-over-heels in love with someone who barely even noticed me.
informal to start to love someone: · She always seems to fall for the wrong type of man.· I fell for Dan almost immediately.
a situation in which you start to love someone the first time you see them: · When I met Tracy it was love at first sight.· I don't believe in love at first sight.
if someone sweeps you off your feet, you start to love them very quickly, especially when you do not expect it to happen: · Then Peter came into my life and swept me off my feet.· She's just waiting to be swept off her feet by a handsome stranger.
to like someone a lot and care about them to love someone in your family, so that you care a lot about what happens to them, and you want them to be happy: · I really believed that my parents didn't love me.· He loved his stepdaughter as if she were his own child.
if people are close , they enjoy being together and they know and understand each other's feelings and thoughts: · My sister and I used to argue a lot, but now we're very close.· We have always been a close family.close to: · I'm still very close to my parents.
to like someone very much, especially after spending a long time with them and getting to know them: · I'm very fond of my sister's children.· All teachers have children that they are particularly fond of.· We were all very fond of Mr Edwards.
to feel love and concern for someone: · She thinks we're interfering but we're only doing it because we care.· Buy her some flowers to show her you really care.care about: · I'm very lucky to have a husband, family and friends who care about me.· Of course I care about Kirsty - that's why I want to help her.
to love someone very much and feel proud of them: · Branwell Bronte adored his sister Anne.· She adores her grandchildren and is always buying them presents.
to love and admire someone very much: · He worshipped his elder brother.worship the ground somebody walks on (=love someone very much, even if they behave badly): · In Susie's eyes he can do no wrong - she worships the ground he walks on.
to love someone very much and be very loyal to them or spend all your time with them: · He is a good man, devoted to his wife and children.
to love someone, especially someone younger than you, very much and show this by your actions: · He'd do anything for his children - he really dotes on them.· She obviously dotes on her grandson.· You should visit your aunt more often, you know how she dotes on you all.
to love and respect someone so much that they are very important in your life: · We all thought the world of Isaac and were devastated when he died.· He thinks the world of his uncle.
a feeling of love a feeling of love , either for someone that you are sexually attracted to, or for a member of your family: · All children need love, attention, and encouragement.love for: · She was never able to express her love for Henry.unrequited love (=romantic love that you feel for someone, but that they do not feel for you): · She nourishes a secret, unrequited love for Harry.
a gentle feeling of love for a friend or member of your family, which makes you want to be kind to them and show them that you love them: · She never seemed to show us any affection.· children who have been starved of affectionaffection for: · Alison and I had been at school together, and I felt great affection for her.
a strong feeling of loving and being loyal to someone, especially over a long period of time: · She had given her husband years of devotion and support.· Mary expected complete devotion from her lovers.
a strong and exciting feeling of love for someone you are extremely sexually attracted to: · All the passion in their marriage has died.· He loved her still, with just the same passion as he always had.
unreasonably strong feelings of love that you have for only a short time, especially for someone that you do not know very well: · She hoped that his ridiculous infatuation would soon wear off.infatuation with/for: · His infatuation with Diane seemed to be growing.
showing that you love someone someone who is affectionate shows that they are very fond of another person by the way they behave towards them, for example by holding or kissing them: · She's a very affectionate child.· He gave me an affectionate hug and then left.
something that is romantic gives you a feeling of love for your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife etc - use this about places, or things people do or say: · We went for a lovely romantic walk by the lake.· Paris is such a romantic city.· I've always thought it would be so romantic to be serenaded.
behaving in a way that shows that you love someone, especially a member of your family: · Her husband was loving and supportive throughout her long illness.· She was a devoted wife and a very loving mother.
involving strong feelings of sexual love: · She longed to have a mad, passionate affair with him.· As they got to know each other better, their love grew deeper and more passionate.
loving and gentle, especially because you are concerned about someone: · When she spoke, her voice was full of tender concern.· Fleury saw an expression of tender devotion come over his father's face.tender loving care: · I was feeling rather fragile, and in need of tender loving care.
spending all your time thinking about someone you love, especially someone who does not love you: · He knew he was behaving like a lovesick teenager.
very loving and loyal towards someone: · With the support of his devoted wife, he carried on writing until the age of 73.· They remained devoted friends for many years.
: doting mother/grandparent/husband etc a mother, grandparent etc that shows that they love someone, especially someone younger, by paying them a lot of attention: · The doting grandmother smiled and chatted about how well the boy was doing at school.· She managed to find a rich and doting husband for herself.
informal expressing your love for someone in a way that other people think is silly: · It is possible to love someone without going all gooey over them.· We ended up sitting next to a lovey-dovey couple.
someone you love the people you love, especially the members of your family: · Many prisoners find it difficult being separated from their loved ones.· They are fighting to protect their loved ones from oppression and violence.
your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife - used especially in advertisements or sayings: · Flowers are the perfect gift for the one you love.· You know what they say: you always hurt the one you love.
the person who you have loved the most in your life: · Claude has always been the love of her life.· He knew as soon as he met her that Sumana would be the love of his life.
someone who was your girlfriend or boyfriend in the past, especially someone that you still like: · I met up with an old flame, and we sat and chatted for a while.
stories, films etc about love a story about two people who are in love with each other: · The book is very exciting, as well as being a wonderful love story.· a well-known writer of popular romances
a romantic story or film is about people who are in love: · a romantic comedy in which Meg Ryan plays a single mother looking for love
not loved not loved by someone or anyone: · As a child I felt very unloved.· He was the unloved son of an unhappy marriage.
to enjoy doing something to get pleasure from doing something: · Did you enjoy the party?enjoy doing something: · My father always enjoyed playing golf at weekends.enjoy yourself (=do things that make you feel happy): · The park was full of people enjoying themselves in the sunshine.thoroughly/greatly enjoy: · Thanks for a lovely evening. I thoroughly enjoyed it.· Most of the students said that they had really enjoyed the day out.enjoy every minute/moment of something: · It was a wonderful vacation - we enjoyed every minute of it.enjoy something immensely especially British: · Parts of the play were extremely funny. I enjoyed it immensely.
to enjoy doing something, especially something that you do regularly or for a long time: · I don't like meetings, especially if they go on for too long.like doing something: · We liked living abroad. It was a wonderful experience.like to do something (=do something often or regularly because you enjoy it): · Nick likes to relax and read a book in the evenings.
especially spoken to enjoy doing something very much and get a lot of pleasure out of it: · Cassie works in the theatre, and she really loves it.love doing something: · Ben loves swimming, playing tennis, those kinds of thing.love to do something (=do something often or regularly because you enjoy it a lot): · She loved to sit in the park and feed the ducks.
especially spoken to enjoy yourself very much when you are with other people: · We had a great time last night - you should have come.· Did you have a good time at the beach?have a good/great etc time doing something: · The kids all had a wonderful time meeting up at each other's houses.
informal to enjoy yourself very much by going out a lot and spending a lot of money on social activities: · Pat spent most of his time at college going to parties and living it up.· I had saved about two thousand dollars, so I decided to whoop it up in Vegas before going home.
to enjoy yourself with other people, for example by relaxing, talking, or laughing with them: · I was having so much fun I forgot how late it was.have fun doing something: · We had fun trying to guess who Mike's new girlfriend was.
especially American, informal to have a very good time: · We went down to the Gulf Coast of Florida for spring break - we had a blast!
informal to enjoy yourself very much: · "Your vacation sounds fantastic.'' "We had the time of our lives!''have the time of your life/have a whale of a time doing something: · Alan was having the time of his life, playing to an admiring audience.· The kids all had a whale of a time, in and out of the pool all day.
to enjoy doing or seeing something: · I get a real kick out of watching my son learning to speak.· Jody got a kick out of trying some of the new video games.
to like something very much especially spoken to like something very much. Adore is stronger but less common than love: · We had a great time at Disneyland. The kids loved it.· I adore chocolate -- I could live on it.love/adore doing something: · The older men loved hearing about Russ's success on the football field.· Jessie adored being the centre of attention.
also be mad about something British informal to be extremely interested in an activity and spend a lot of time doing it or watching it: · Jonah's crazy about basketball.· She's always been mad about horses.
to like something very much, especially something that you own or use, so that you would be upset if you lost it: · Mom gets very attached to her pets.· Casey had become quite attached to the comforts of his London home.
to like an activity very much, because it gives you a lot of pleasure or excitement: · From a very early age he had a passion for fast cars.· To be a great performer, you have to work very hard and have a passion for the music you play.
to enjoy doing something so much that you do it, watch it etc as often as you can and feel that you cannot stop doing it: · My son's addicted to computer games - he hardly ever comes out of his room.be addicted: · I started watching the show out of curiosity, but now I'm addicted!
to want something very much to want something to happen, when it is unlikely or impossible that it will happen, or when you cannot control what will happen: wish (that): · I wish I had a car like that.· Beth wished she could stay there forever.wish somebody/something would do something: · I wish they would turn that music down.
especially spoken to want something very much, and feel that you would be happy if you had it: · I would love a cup of coffee.would love to do something: · She would love to have children, but she hasn't met the right man.· "Would you like to go on a Caribbean cruise?" "I'd love to!" would love somebody to do something: · My mother would love me to come and live in New York with her.
if you say that you would do anything , would give anything or would give your right arm , you mean you very much want to have something or do something, especially something that is impossible to get or do: would do anything/would give anything/would give your right arm for: · I would do anything for a drink right now!· I would give anything for a look at that file.would do anything/would give anything/would give your right arm to do something: · When she first started writing, she would have done anything to get an article printed.· I'd give my right arm to be 21 again.
also be keen to do something British to want to do something very much, especially because you think it will be interesting or enjoyable or it will help other people: · He's really keen to meet you.· I was eager to get my hands on these rare recordings.· Donna is very eager to prove her worth to the group.be keen for somebody to do something: · My parents were keen for me to be independent, and let me have a lot of freedom.
to want very much to do or achieve something, so that you make a great effort: · Miles was anxious to gain his boss's approval, and was always the last to leave the office in the evening.· A newly-arrived executive is usually anxious to make his mark in a new firm.be anxious for somebody/something to do something: · After the war, the government was anxious for the tourist industry to be revived.
to want something very much, and feel that you must have it or do it immediately: be dying to do something: · I'm dying to meet Lisa's new boyfriend.be dying for: · I'm dying for a drink - let's go to a bar.
especially British to want or need something so much that you will be very unhappy or disappointed if you do not get it: · I could see that they were desperate and needed help.be desperate to do something: · After having four boys, the couple were desperate to have a little girl.· We were desperate to view the inside of the house once we saw the garden.be desperate for: · Newspapers are always desperate for stories.
spoken say this when you want something to happen as soon as possible, because you know you will enjoy it and you are very excited about it: · "You're going on holiday soon, aren't you?" "Yes, I can't wait."I can't wait to do something: · I can't wait to see Bill again - it's been a long time.can't wait for: · I can't wait for Christmas.
to be impatient to do something that you are excited about, especially something you have not done before: · She's just itching to tell you about her new boyfriend.· Despite her success, however, it just wasn't much fun anymore. Liz was itching to try something different.
a word used especially in spoken English meaning to want something very much, especially something to eat, drink etc: · I need a drink - coming to the bar?· Dave's been working really hard - he needs a holiday.
to want as much of something as you can get, especially food, attention, or a drug: · I've always craved love and acceptance.· The review gave Picasso a taste of the recognition he craved.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. Many people feel guilty after the death of a loved one. She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach. James loved her dearly. I think that I’ve fallen in love with Angela. She fell madly in love with him. The money will buy much needed books for the school. He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her. real old-fashioned romantic love They declared their undying love for each other. Yes, please, I’d love a coffee. My parents would like to meet you. Claudia would have liked to refuse (=wanted to refuse), but she didn’t dare.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. Many people feel guilty after the death of a loved one. spoken (=used to say that you would really like to do something) ‘Would you like to come swimming with us?’ ‘I’d love to.’ I’d have loved to have stayed till the end. I’d love to know just why they did that.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES ‘Would you like to come swimming with us?’ ‘I’d love to.’ I’d have loved to have stayed till the end. I’d love to know just why they did that.· We were grateful for her act of kindness.
She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach.· Children enjoy a challenge so the work should not be too easy.
James loved her dearly. I think that I’ve fallen in love with Angela. (=used at the end of a letter)· See you soon. Lots of love and kisses from Anna.
· The book had a copy of a love letter from King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn.
She fell madly in love with him. The money will buy much needed books for the school.· Shakespeare's beautiful love poems
He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her. (=when someone both likes and dislikes someone else)· The local people have a love-hate relationship with tourists.
(=love someone who loves you)· Sadly, she could never return his love.
real old-fashioned romantic love· He is releasing an album of love songs for Valentine’s Day.
· ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a classic love story.
They declared their undying love for each other. Yes, please, I’d love a coffee. My parents would like to meet you. Claudia would have liked to refuse (=wanted to refuse), but she didn’t dare.· How silly I was to trust that you would always love me!· Jack always loved them in his way.· Jack had always loved Polly's legs, but then he had always loved everything about Polly.· It seemed I could argue and defend handily, and I always loved debating.· She had always loved to sew, and when she had started to design in earnest wedding dresses had proved irresistible.· I had always loved walking so it seemed the obvious thing to do.· He had a good singing voice, and women always loved him.
· Also, I should dearly love to rest.· At this point Katz would dearly love a little navigational help from above.· But what I'd dearly love to know is what on earth made him so suspicious of me?· He thinks this is his last go-round for basketball, a sport he dearly loves.· I wish that Merseyside, which I love dearly, would follow the example of Dublin.· Although she would dearly love to know if it was the norm for women to follow him home!· I would dearly love to add a Catfish as a tank companion.
· I would really love to have long hair but it never seems to grow at the back, only at the fringe!· But I really love what I do.· That one of them doesn't really love the other; that they love one another a certain amount but not enough?· Had Mattie ever really loved anyone but herself?· And apparently she had really loved Magnus, and competed with Stella in caring for him.· Maybe with the young woman from your hometown, the one you really love.· I used to love concocting meals ... really love it.· Edusha also admitted that she had never really loved Edek.
· He's been to watch quite a few games here since the day he left and that shows he still loves the place.· When he became our congressman, people still loved him.· Or are they still loved, even though more grown up?· She still loves Eric, and Eric, red jump suit and all, is smart enough to know it.· Was it possible to be unfaithful yet still love your wife?· Yet many who look pained at even the thought of the spicy heat of a chili pepper still love Caesar salad.· I even believe she still loves Gary.
NOUN· Probably his children loved him and perhaps his neighbours liked him too.· Be assured, if that child loved his parents at all, that an engram exists here.· McCarthy was a lucky child, privileged and loved by beautiful parents.· By and large, children love to be read to.· Hurtwood School is going very well; the children love it.· That your children love you back is nearly as miraculous as their birth.· Look at how much the children loved seeing that frozen carbon dioxide.· The basic responsibility of parents is not to give our children love.
· Chrissie sat down on the bare floorboards, and watched the haggard features of the man she loved.· But men everywhere love it too.· She could see no sign of the man she loved.· She had done what she could for her son, for now, and she was with the man she loved.· And anyway, Daisy married the man she loved.· He was an academic who respected women, a scholar who appreciated music, and a man who had loved his father.· He had been everything she had ever imagined the man she loved would be.· If she had seen the man I loved she would have thought him a figure of fantasy too.
· But in general, parents love their daughters, and are very concerned about them and their welfare.· The parent who loves reading poetry aloud should by all means read poetry.· Of course, there are those young people whom only a parent could love.· To my parents for their loving concern.· We must be corrective like a parent who yet loves the child he has chastised.· I know my parents love me.· An alleged serial killer whose parents loved him?
· These country people did not love bishops, the paraphernalia of church hierarchy.· All four people who loved it have been informed in person.· But she had only ever pulled the stops out for people she loved and respected.· Both here and back in the capital city he would be surrounded by family and people who loved him.· On the other hand there were many people who loved him dearly.· Most people would love to be in the slump he's in right now.· Some people love the atmosphere of refuges; others, myself included, would rather give them a miss.· George would have loved it Funny how people love to be assessor, haw!
· Marry me, be my wife, and love me.· My wife loves all that weird shit, so if I can support a friend, might as well support a friend.· A wife loved her husband very dearly.· He loved his wife and he loved her child.· My wife will love me again.· I love her as wives love their husbands, as friends who have taken each other for life.
· She was Tim's first choice when he set out to find the perfect engagement ring for the woman he loved.· Some women love dressmaking or knitting.· The difference, this time, was that the woman he loved did not leave him.· I mean, of course, the mid-life change that's making the woman you love so difficult.· I had a job I liked and a woman I loved.· Everyone paints devotion like an artist painted all his portraits of women, after the appearance of the women he loved.· He was one of those boys who was not only attracted to young women but who loved them as well.
VERB· I know you loved Mark so; he was your only family.· I wanted her to know that I loved her.· You know how I loved your sister, and made her die.· I know that I love him.· I don't know anyone who was loved as she was.· I know her family loved her.· She loved him so desperately and she knew he loved her, but maybe not enough.· The publishers knew that kids love codes that help them keep their marvelous secrets.
· And from now on it will be mine, she thought, and I shall learn to love it as he does.· A contemporary story of mystery and romantic suspense of a woman who returns home to die and ends up learning to love.· He once joked that the New Labour project would not be complete until the party learned to love Peter.· They will adapt to and learn to love change.· Shouldn't we learn to love ourselves the way we are?· Day by day, I learned to understand and love the nuns.· He does love her and she will learn to love him.· Our personalities are made up as well by the totality of our life experiences, what we learn and whom we love.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► human interest/love interest► for the love of Mike► what's not to like/love?
- "So then Susan had to explain how the dishes got broken." "Oh, I love it!"
- And take it from me, you're going to love it.
- Just as well she had such guts really, because no one was going to love her for her feminine self.
- We want some one the public is going to love or hate, not just the leading scorer.
- You're going to love Riverstown.
- Ah, come on; all's fair in love and war, Cameron.
- It wasn't just the usual liaison: the two of them fell head over heels in love.
- And, unknown to her father, I fell hopelessly in love with her.
- I was too afraid of falling hopelessly in love with this protégé of Yukio Mishima, whose marvellous homoerotic poems I translated.
- James Pawsey, the Tory member for Rugby, also appeared to be hopelessly in love.
- She was falling hopelessly in love with the man.
- But for Mavis Hindmarsh and her team of volunteers furniture removal is a labour of love.
- But then it was a labour of love.
- Compiling such a list was a labour of love - too pleasurable an activity to pursue in office hours.
- David Croft and Jimmy Perry's sitcom was a labour of love.
- For Joan it has been a labour of love and provides an amusing and detailed insight into medicine in the town.
- It is a labour of love by Professor A. G. Toth and primarily for specialists.
- Male speaker It's a labour of love looking after Dinmore.
- Mervyn Gowell was a fitter at the plant and says that working on the Meteor was a labour of love.
- And even when the tires went flat or the road grew rough, we loved every minute of the journey.
- And he thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
- And I give it all I got and enjoy every minute of it.
- But we were careless and happy and full of fun, and enjoyed every minute of the day.
- He went down early each morning and jumped up and down in the briny, enjoying every minute of it.
- I got a goal and enjoyed every minute of it.
- I know we all enjoyed every minute of the three hectic months.
- The first mile was pure pain and I hated every minute of it.
- Anabelle, my dear, you must try some.
- Hence my love for film and my desire to make films as a director and... actor.
- Oh, and give this bottle of Krug with my love to Charity when you see her.
- The measure of my outrage and anger was the measure of my love for you.
- Then, my dear Summerlee, it is that most wonderful of devices: a perpetual motion machine!
- He sends his best wishes to everybody at home.
- Mr Mason sends his best wishes for the success of the event.
- In the world of rehabilitating addicts, this is known as showing your child tough love.
- It was just a good, tough love story, and that was one of the parts that made it tough.
WORD FAMILYadjectivelovable ≠ unlovablelovelesslovelylovingunlovednounloveloverloveliness.loveyverbloveadverblovingly
1romantic attraction [transitive not in progressive] to have a strong feeling of affection for someone, combined with sexual attraction: I love you, Tracy. He was the only man she had ever loved.2care about [transitive not in progressive] to care very much about someone, especially a member of your family or a close friend: I love my grandad so much. I’ve always loved children.much-loved/well-loved In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. Many people feel guilty after the death of a loved one.3like/enjoy [transitive] to like something very much or enjoy doing something very much: I love carrots. Jeff loves his work. I love the way she sings that song. Amy had always loved New York.love doing something I love going out to restaurants.love to do something We all love to talk about ourselves.I’d love to (do something) spoken (=used to say that you would really like to do something) ‘Would you like to come swimming with us?’ ‘I’d love to.’ I’d have loved to have stayed till the end. I’d love to know just why they did that.► see thesaurus at like4loyalty [transitive not in progressive] to have a strong feeling of loyalty to your country, an institution etc: Dad’s always loved the navy.5I love it! spoken used when you are amused by something, especially by someone else’s mistake or bad luck: ‘And then her boyfriend walked in and saw her kissing Ray.’ ‘I love it!’6somebody’s going to love something spoken a)used to say that someone will enjoy something: Listen guys, you’re going to love this. b)used to say that someone will not be pleased about something: I’m going to love telling him we’ve changed our minds again. → loverGRAMMARPatterns with love• You love someone or something: · I love my children.· She loves jazz.• You love doing something: · She loves listening to jazz.• You love to do something: · She loves to listen to jazz in her spare time. ✗Don’t say: She loves listen to jazz.• Love doing something and love to do something both mean the same thing. You use love to do especially when saying that someone does something regularly or often.Using the progressive• The usual rule is that love is not used in the progressive. ✗Don’t say: I am loving my children. | She is loving jazz.• In spoken English, people sometimes say I’m loving something they have just seen or heard: · I’m loving his new show (=I like it a lot).Grammar guide ‒ VERBSTHESAURUSlove to like someone very much and care a lot about them – used especially about people in your family or someone who you are sexually attracted to: · I love my wife and children very much.· Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not really meant it?adore to love and admire someone very much: · When she was a child she adored her father.be in love (with somebody) to feel that you love someone and want to have a romantic relationship with them: · We were both young and very much in love.· Karen was in love with a man who was much older than her.be infatuated with somebody to love someone a lot and keep thinking about them, in a way that seems silly because you do not know them very well: · He became infatuated with a woman he met at a conference.have a crush on somebody to love and be sexually attracted to someone you are not having a relationship with, usually someone older: · Jane had a crush on the German teacher.be crazy about somebody informal to love someone very much – used for emphasis: · She’s crazy about you.be devoted to somebody to love someone very much and give them a lot of attention: · He was devoted to his wife and his children.dote on somebody written to love someone very much, especially a much younger family member, and behave very kindly to them: · He dotes on his grandchildren.love1 verblove2 noun
lovelove2 ●●● S1 W1 noun WORD ORIGINlove2
Origin:
Old English lufuEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- All children need love, attention, and encouragement.
- Jack was her first love.
- She nourishes a secret, unrequited love for Harry.
- She was never able to express her love for Henry.
- And though they regularly clashed, they were undoubtedly in love.
- Finally, it never hurts to wear our own love of reading on our sleeve.
- I used to read books about love.
- Only his tears spoke of brotherly love.
- The authoritative, dedicated, and benign conductor was Williams Llewellyn, whose knowledge and love for the score was obvious.
THESAURUS
noun [uncountable] a feeling of liking someone very much and caring a lot about them – used about people in your family, or someone you feel sexually attracted to: · All children need love, attention, and encouragement.· We don’t need words to express our love for each other.
noun [uncountable] a gentle feeling of love which makes you want to be kind to someone and show them that you love them – used especially about friends and members of your family: · My mother never showed us us any affection.· Alison and I had been at school together, and I felt great affection for her.
noun [uncountable] very strong love for someone in which you want to give them a lot of attention and look after them – used especially about strong feelings of love for your wife, husband, children etc: · His recovery is largely due to the devotion of his wife and family
noun [uncountable] a strong and exciting feeling of love for someone you are extremely sexually attracted to: · He loved her still, with just the same passion as he always had.· There was no passion in their relationship.
noun [countable, uncountable] a strong feeling of love for someone, in which you cannot stop thinking about them, and which seems silly because you do not know them very well: · She hoped that his ridiculous infatuation would soon wear off.· His infatuation with Diane seemed to be growing.· a childhood infatuation
noun [uncountable] the feeling of loving someone and the nice things you do to show this – used about someone you are sexually attracted to: · The romance had gone out of their relationship.· In the UK, one in ten people have found romance over the Internet.
noun [countable] a very strong feeling of love and sexual attraction for someone such as a teacher or a famous person, especially when there is no chance of you having a relationship with that person because you are much younger than them: · She had a teenage crush on one of her teachers.· I had a big crush on Tom Cruise when I was growing up.· a schoolgirl crush
Longman Language Activatorto love someone especially in a sexual or romantic way to have a strong feeling of liking someone, caring about them, and being sexually attracted to them: · He stroked her hair and murmured, "I love you."· He was the only man she had ever loved.love somebody very much: · We still love each other very much.
to love someone very much, so that you think about them all the time and want to be with them all the time: · I think I'm in love!be in love with: · How can you marry Adam when you're in love with someone else?be madly in love/very much in love (=very strongly in love): · We were both seventeen and madly in love.
informal to love someone very much, especially in a way that you cannot control: · Jo's crazy about you.
British spoken to be sexually attracted to someone, especially someone that you do not know very well: · All the girls fancy Bob.· I think Stevie fancies you.
if someone, especially a young person, has a crush on someone they have an uncontrollable feeling of love for them, especially when there is no chance of having a relationship with them: · It is quite normal for adolescents to have crushes on pop stars.· The only reason I went to church every Sunday was that I had a crush on the minister.
to have a strong and uncontrollable feeling of love for someone you do not know very well, which does not last for a long time: · Ever since she met Rod at a party she's been totally infatuated.be infatuated with: · Teenage girls sometimes become infatuated with their teachers.
to be so much in love with someone that you do not behave sensibly or think clearly: · She was too besotted to see what he was really like.be besotted with: · He was obviously besotted with Julia.
to start to love someone to begin to be in love with someone: · I suddenly realized that I'd fallen in love.fall in love with: · I think I fell in love with Ralph the first time I met him.
to suddenly start to love someone a lot: · I met Sam at college, and immediately fell head-over-heels in love with him.· I was head-over-heels in love with someone who barely even noticed me.
informal to start to love someone: · She always seems to fall for the wrong type of man.· I fell for Dan almost immediately.
a situation in which you start to love someone the first time you see them: · When I met Tracy it was love at first sight.· I don't believe in love at first sight.
if someone sweeps you off your feet, you start to love them very quickly, especially when you do not expect it to happen: · Then Peter came into my life and swept me off my feet.· She's just waiting to be swept off her feet by a handsome stranger.
to like someone a lot and care about them to love someone in your family, so that you care a lot about what happens to them, and you want them to be happy: · I really believed that my parents didn't love me.· He loved his stepdaughter as if she were his own child.
if people are close , they enjoy being together and they know and understand each other's feelings and thoughts: · My sister and I used to argue a lot, but now we're very close.· We have always been a close family.close to: · I'm still very close to my parents.
to like someone very much, especially after spending a long time with them and getting to know them: · I'm very fond of my sister's children.· All teachers have children that they are particularly fond of.· We were all very fond of Mr Edwards.
to feel love and concern for someone: · She thinks we're interfering but we're only doing it because we care.· Buy her some flowers to show her you really care.care about: · I'm very lucky to have a husband, family and friends who care about me.· Of course I care about Kirsty - that's why I want to help her.
to love someone very much and feel proud of them: · Branwell Bronte adored his sister Anne.· She adores her grandchildren and is always buying them presents.
to love and admire someone very much: · He worshipped his elder brother.worship the ground somebody walks on (=love someone very much, even if they behave badly): · In Susie's eyes he can do no wrong - she worships the ground he walks on.
to love someone very much and be very loyal to them or spend all your time with them: · He is a good man, devoted to his wife and children.
to love someone, especially someone younger than you, very much and show this by your actions: · He'd do anything for his children - he really dotes on them.· She obviously dotes on her grandson.· You should visit your aunt more often, you know how she dotes on you all.
to love and respect someone so much that they are very important in your life: · We all thought the world of Isaac and were devastated when he died.· He thinks the world of his uncle.
a feeling of love a feeling of love , either for someone that you are sexually attracted to, or for a member of your family: · All children need love, attention, and encouragement.love for: · She was never able to express her love for Henry.unrequited love (=romantic love that you feel for someone, but that they do not feel for you): · She nourishes a secret, unrequited love for Harry.
a gentle feeling of love for a friend or member of your family, which makes you want to be kind to them and show them that you love them: · She never seemed to show us any affection.· children who have been starved of affectionaffection for: · Alison and I had been at school together, and I felt great affection for her.
a strong feeling of loving and being loyal to someone, especially over a long period of time: · She had given her husband years of devotion and support.· Mary expected complete devotion from her lovers.
a strong and exciting feeling of love for someone you are extremely sexually attracted to: · All the passion in their marriage has died.· He loved her still, with just the same passion as he always had.
unreasonably strong feelings of love that you have for only a short time, especially for someone that you do not know very well: · She hoped that his ridiculous infatuation would soon wear off.infatuation with/for: · His infatuation with Diane seemed to be growing.
showing that you love someone someone who is affectionate shows that they are very fond of another person by the way they behave towards them, for example by holding or kissing them: · She's a very affectionate child.· He gave me an affectionate hug and then left.
something that is romantic gives you a feeling of love for your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife etc - use this about places, or things people do or say: · We went for a lovely romantic walk by the lake.· Paris is such a romantic city.· I've always thought it would be so romantic to be serenaded.
behaving in a way that shows that you love someone, especially a member of your family: · Her husband was loving and supportive throughout her long illness.· She was a devoted wife and a very loving mother.
involving strong feelings of sexual love: · She longed to have a mad, passionate affair with him.· As they got to know each other better, their love grew deeper and more passionate.
loving and gentle, especially because you are concerned about someone: · When she spoke, her voice was full of tender concern.· Fleury saw an expression of tender devotion come over his father's face.tender loving care: · I was feeling rather fragile, and in need of tender loving care.
spending all your time thinking about someone you love, especially someone who does not love you: · He knew he was behaving like a lovesick teenager.
very loving and loyal towards someone: · With the support of his devoted wife, he carried on writing until the age of 73.· They remained devoted friends for many years.
: doting mother/grandparent/husband etc a mother, grandparent etc that shows that they love someone, especially someone younger, by paying them a lot of attention: · The doting grandmother smiled and chatted about how well the boy was doing at school.· She managed to find a rich and doting husband for herself.
informal expressing your love for someone in a way that other people think is silly: · It is possible to love someone without going all gooey over them.· We ended up sitting next to a lovey-dovey couple.
someone you love the people you love, especially the members of your family: · Many prisoners find it difficult being separated from their loved ones.· They are fighting to protect their loved ones from oppression and violence.
your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife - used especially in advertisements or sayings: · Flowers are the perfect gift for the one you love.· You know what they say: you always hurt the one you love.
the person who you have loved the most in your life: · Claude has always been the love of her life.· He knew as soon as he met her that Sumana would be the love of his life.
someone who was your girlfriend or boyfriend in the past, especially someone that you still like: · I met up with an old flame, and we sat and chatted for a while.
stories, films etc about love a story about two people who are in love with each other: · The book is very exciting, as well as being a wonderful love story.· a well-known writer of popular romances
a romantic story or film is about people who are in love: · a romantic comedy in which Meg Ryan plays a single mother looking for love
not loved not loved by someone or anyone: · As a child I felt very unloved.· He was the unloved son of an unhappy marriage.
to not like someone because of something they have done to dislike someone for a particular reason, although the reason is not clear: · Sam has something against me.· Your brother's got something against me. God knows what.· She probably has something against men.
informal if someone has it in for you, they dislike you and are always looking for ways to hurt you, especially because of something you have done in the past: · I don't know why anybody would have it in for Eddy. He's a really nice guy.· Sometimes I think my supervisor has it in for me.
to continue to dislike someone and feel angry with them, because you believe they harmed you in the past and you have not forgiven them: · She bore a grudge for a long time.· It isn't in that woman's nature to bear grudges.bear a grudge against: · He bore a grudge against my father for years.
if there is no love lost between two people, they dislike each other and do not have a friendly relationship: · Sounds like there's not a lot of love lost between the two of you.· It is clear from these letters that there was no love lost between the Princess and her stepmother.
ways to ask someone to say hello to someone else for you · By the way, Dad says hi!say hello/say hi (for sb) to · I'd better go now. Say hello to Shelley for me, will you?
to ask someone to give your loving greetings to someone else when they see them, write to them etc: · Nick's sorry he couldn't be here, but he sends his love.send your love to: · Aunt Mary sends her love to you and the children.
to ask someone to give your greetings to someone else when they see them, write to them etc: · I talked to Steven on the phone the other day and he sends his regards.
also give somebody my love/regards use this to ask someone to give your greetings to someone else when they see them, write to them etc - use give my love to somebody especially about family or close friends: · Give my love to your mother when you see her.· Have a wonderful evening and give Tim my regards.
ways of ending a letter British use this at the end of formal letters, which began with 'Dear Sir', 'Dear Madam' etc: · Yours faithfully, Adam Browning
British use this at the end of formal letters which begin with 'Dear Mr ...', 'Dear Ms ...' etc: · Yours sincerely, Mary Whitford
American use this at the end of formal letters: · Yours truly, Donna Deavers
use this at the end of letter to members of your family, close friends etc: · I'll give you a call soon. Love, Brad
use this especially in letters or e-mails to friends and family: · All the best, Dad
use this at the end of letters to friends, to show that you will be thinking about them: · Take care, Martin and Sophie
also xoxo American use this at the end of letters and notes to people you love. The X's represent kisses and the O's represent hugs: · xxx Moira
use this especially in letters or e-mails to people you know or work with, especially people who are not family or close friends: · Regards, Jonathan Pryor
British /P.S. American use this when you want to add something after the end of a letter: · PS I love you.· PS Send my regards to Pauline.
something that you like all the things you like and do not like: · She never lets her personal likes and dislikes affect the way she treats people.· Employees were asked about their likes and dislikes, and also about how they felt about their working conditions.
something that you are deeply interested in and which you like so much that you are always excited about it: · Donna's latest passion is cooking and eating Mexican food. somebody's great/first love: · My father's great love was fishing.
to have sex with someone · Teenagers should be taught to think carefully before having sex.have sex with · Would you have sex with someone on your first date?· He's never had sex with anyone but his wife.
the act of having sex with someone: · She had no interest in sex after the baby was born.safe sex (=methods of protecting yourself against sexual disease while you are having sex): · Some people ignore advice about safe sex and do not wear condoms.sex education (=teaching young people about sex): · a refreshing and unusual approach to sex education
if two people make love , they have sex because they like or love each other: · All day they made love on the unmade bed.make love with/to: · She thought about Tom Cruise every time she made love with her boyfriend.
to have sex with someone you are not married to, especially regularly and over a period of time: · She's been sleeping with this guy Mark since the summer.· When did you first find out that Betty and your husband were sleeping together?
to have sex with someone on one occasion, especially because they ask you or persuade you to do so: · I remember the first time we went to bed.go to bed with: · He said he'd give me the job if I went to bed with him.
formal to have sex with someone - used especially in medical or legal contexts: · The doctor asked him when he had last had intercourse.· You are strongly advised to wear a condom while having sexual intercourse.have (sexual) intercourse with: · The victim later claimed that her attacker forced her to have sexual intercourse with him.
especially British, informal to have sex with someone - used especially humorously: · To hear him talk, you'd think he's shagged every woman in town!· All she ever thinks about is shagging.
British informal to have sex with someone - used humorously: · They said she'd bonked every man in college.· My mother walked in and caught us bonking.
to have sex for the first time in your life: · I lost my virginity at the age of seventeen.lose your virginity to: · She had lost her virginity to a law student while at university.
if birds or animals mate , they have sex in order to produce babies: · The birds mate in April and the eggs are hatched by June.a mating call/dance/ritual (=something an animal does when it wants to mate): · Two pigeons performed an elaborate and very noisy mating dance.the mating season/period (=the time of year when animals mate): · During the mating season, foxes become much more vocal.
formal when you have sex with someone - used especially in legal contexts: · Love has nothing to do with sexual relations.sexual relations between: · In most cultures, sexual relations between adults and children are totally unacceptable.
WORD SETSace, nounace, verbball boy, nounball girl, nounbreak, noundeuce, noundouble fault, nounfault, nounfoot fault, nounforehand, nounground stroke, nounhard court, nounlob, verblove, nounmatch point, nounseed, verbsmash, verbsmash, nountennis court, nountennis shoe, nountiebreaker, nountramlines, noununseeded, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 2verbs She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach. James loved her dearly. I think that I’ve fallen in love with Angela. She fell madly in love with him. The money will buy much needed books for the school. He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her. real old-fashioned romantic love They declared their undying love for each other. Yes, please, I’d love a coffee. My parents would like to meet you. Claudia would have liked to refuse (=wanted to refuse), but she didn’t dare.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· Are you in love with her?
(=start being in love)· I fell in love with her the minute I saw her.
(=meet someone to love)· I never thought I would find love.
(=love someone who loves you)· Estella does not return Pip’s love.
phrases (=when you love someone as soon as you meet them)· For Marion and Ron it was love at first sight.
· They were obviously very much in love.
(=very much in love)· I married Dan because I was madly in love.
(=very much in love)· The two of them fell head over heels in love.
(=used to say that people do not notice the faults of the person they love)· Love is blind, I guess. How else could he stand to be with her?
adjectives (=real love)· She felt that she had finally found true love.
· You could see real love in their eyes.
· Romantic love was not always the reason for marriage.
· Venus was the Roman goddess of sexual love.
(=love for someone who does not love you)· She had a secret, unrequited love for Harrison.
(=love that does not stop)· She and I swore undying love.
· He wrote about his passionate love for her.
love + NOUN· a tragic love story
· She found a love letter from another woman in his wallet.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· We were grateful for her act of kindness.
She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach.· Children enjoy a challenge so the work should not be too easy.
James loved her dearly. I think that I’ve fallen in love with Angela. (=used at the end of a letter)· See you soon. Lots of love and kisses from Anna.
· The book had a copy of a love letter from King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn.
She fell madly in love with him. The money will buy much needed books for the school.· Shakespeare's beautiful love poems
He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her. (=when someone both likes and dislikes someone else)· The local people have a love-hate relationship with tourists.
(=love someone who loves you)· Sadly, she could never return his love.
real old-fashioned romantic love· He is releasing an album of love songs for Valentine’s Day.
· ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a classic love story.
They declared their undying love for each other. Yes, please, I’d love a coffee. My parents would like to meet you. Claudia would have liked to refuse (=wanted to refuse), but she didn’t dare.· He wanted a great love and thought he had found her, for life, when he was eighteen.· But her great love for Jason made the loss of her family and her country seem to her a little thing.· And this great love makes you both ruthless.· For instance, one of his great loves was a woman whom he knew only by voice.· She writes a little poetry and prose, and indulges her great love of cooking, at which she excels.· She eventually became his wife, and his one great love.· He wasn't the great love of my life.· A lion, if you raise a lion, will give you great love and affection.
· Keifer Sutherland plays the boyfriend, and after three years he's still obsessed with the search for his lost love.· Shelley felt the familiar pang of heartache and lost love as their eyes met.· And oh Fergus, my dear, lost love, am I doing you so much harm?· It had proved quite an exciting substitute for lost love, and a pacifier in that time of grave trouble.· Assuming the form of the lost love, the spirit comes in a dream to sexually possess the abandoned one.· But all the time he himself was carrying his own torch for a lost love.
· The reason for this fall is the fact that romantic love can not be sustained without an underlying friendship.· There is also the fact that in our culture romantic love eludes both rational analysis and individual control.· To us the flood of romantic love should be searched for and found before marriage.· Then again, perhaps rough, tough Spacefleet troopers manifested peculiarly understated displays of romantic love.· In addition to romantic love, the major tie that is still operative between male and female is the project of reproduction.· To see them is to believe in love, real old-fashioned romantic love.· Kissing became the gesture of romantic love, and future actors took up the torch.
· Unhappily-married Cape Town journalist Toni Balser finds true love against a backdrop of gruesome township violence.· Roth, of course, remains eternally wedded to his one true love, his writing.· William Yes-she might think you don't have true love on your mind.· And it is only after this-after finding and showing your true being-that love can be accepted and believed in.· Will Mark find true love with Julie?· This is true even about love.· Each fevered quest for a true love left me more adrift than ever.
NOUN· Unlike the Prince, she had had no love affairs when their friendship began at the beginning of that year.· She had already had several tragic love affairs.· Mankind's love affair with the apple goes back a long way.· A love affair By the 1960s, when my own association with the hotel began, the Algonquin was all legend.· But it had obvious difficulties for many students who found they could not manage both love affairs and study.· Tempesta, Lockwood and their classmates who already have licenses can continue their love affair with driving.· Others say Honda is keen to rekindle its old love affair.· Was it possible that we were at the start of a love affair?
· They therefore devised no conventional love interest.· We only have one woman, so the love interest is only going to be me, Kevin or Michael Palin.· But Crowe's Maximus is no Mark Antony; there is no destructive love interest in the picture.· I had the main love interest in my pictures stepping out to keep ahead of me.· Consider, for example, the myriad adventure stories, most of which contain a definite love interest.
· In the glove compartment of his car was another love letter, this time written by her husband.· She read her love letters alone in the woods.· You wrote him all those love letters, and then I suppose you got tired of it, and stopped!· I must have been about fifteen when I received my first love letter.· Leonardo forges a love letter from Emilia, and bribes a servant to deliver it to Eustathius along with Emilia's stolen glove.· I read his crowded arms and think of tattooed gravestones - love letters lost in all the long grass.· It was a love letter, it was what she wanted and would she have the nerve to deliver it?· The bundles of love letters testify to that.
· Clearly, you'd rather she stay out of your love life and she's not getting the hint.· Their marriage may be over, but interest remains intense over the love lives of Diana and Charles.· His home, law firm and love life were all sacrificed to the case which was brought on a contingency fee basis.· Besides, your readers' behavior is as unpredictable as their eating habits or love lives.· Mars and Venus this weekend means your love life will start to sparkle.· The subtext is clear: Colgate is good for your breath, teeth -- and love life.· Arid as I became more relaxed our love life returned to how it was before the children came along.· I mean, I was talking about the future of my love life.
· I had never had to do love scenes and neither had Kylie.· But I myself took out an early love scene that showed the two men in bed together.· For a while it was enough to heckle the love scenes and cackle at disasters.· Readers will not accept just a frivolous love scene thrown in.· Not even the love scenes between Guillaume Depardieu and Anne Brochet can lift the deeply entrenched gloom.· There were complaints from Lazenby that Diana Rigg was eating garlic before their big love scene.· The love scenes between Fawcett and Boothe are straight out of a Harlequin novel, all romance and yearning and aching passion.
· She began to sing the famous love song.· But mainly I sing love songs.· A real love song is infinitely more appropriate for Christmas than a trashy song cooked up as a commercial gimmick.· Nicole Simpson sent him cookies, letters and tapes filled with love songs, he said.· There's only so many love songs you can write.· Singing love songs to Mr Death, they smashed his head.· But these are competent love songs, carried on the strength of the 23-year-old's powerful and seductive vocals.· Would-be lovebirds are unable to hear the love songs sung by other birds.
· A devastating, tragic love story about mature people.· The narrative line wavers, its constant ebb and flow in political affairs and love story creating a sense of drift.· As if in a corny love story, they found themselves in each other's arms.· Even by the industry's fickle standards, it was one of the shortest corporate love stories ever told.· There is suffering and tragedy in this quirky love story as Toshi learns the truth of his parents' past.· This novel is a love story.· Romances are love stories, and they do take the subject of love and give it a fictional treatment.
VERB· Well, she would fall out of love with him.· Will she fall in love with Rhett Butler instead?· I am the same woman you fell in love with then, the very same.· Homesickness was what happened when you went to bed with some one and then fell in love.· She didn't know anything about falling in love, let alone falling in love on a budget, as Nelson put it.· She was still radiantly beautiful even though Perseus by now was full grown, and Polydectes fell in love with her.· Hollywood stars were safe to fall in love with, dead or a million dollars away.· Some boys fall in love with other boys.
· Some people, and you may be one, slowly and partially pick up their lives after losing their love.· She was not just a lost love, or a found love either.· The centre court crowd seemed to have lost their love for Venus.· Other parents fear that they may displease, and therefore lose the love of, their children if they are too strict.· To lose love through death is hard but understandable; to lose love and not understand why is intolerable.· She never lost her love of the West, and I admire that.· To lose love through death is hard but understandable; to lose love and not understand why is intolerable.· I lost the love of acting and singing.
· She also wanted him to undress her and make wild passionate love.· He discovered this every time he wanted to make love to her.· It sickened her that she could have made love with Tom and be able to remember nothing of it.· That the man she had just made love to was stupider...· She only knew that they had made love at all by the sticky wetness in between her thighs and on the bedsheet.· They never communicated, they never made love.
· Of course, she sent her love to Jean.· Users can send as many love missives as they like, one at a time.· So listen to it, send it your love - then use a positive affirmation.· A giant Styrofoam heart to send to your true love, from Better Than a Letter, $ 4. 50.· Rachaela had not asked Ruth if she wished to send Emma her love.· He asks me to send you his love.· I am fine and your family is in good health and send their love.· Grandparents, schoolfriends and neighbours all tried to write to the children, to send messages of love and support.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► love (from somebody)/lots of love/all my love► be a love and .../... there’s a love► for the love of GodPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► human interest/love interest► for the love of Mike► what's not to like/love?
- A little gift from my loving man.
- All my love and kisses, Sue Marion put the letter in her bag, ready to take to work tomorrow.
- Hence my love for film and my desire to make films as a director and... actor.
- I meant to tell you earlier, my love.
- I need you now, my love.
- I should hate to give the impression that my love for you is but thinly disguised lust.
- The purity of my love was something that to me remained undefiled.
- There's no love lost between Bart and Stephen.
- I can't get a hold of that book for love nor money.
- And you still can't get a good daily woman now to clean, not for love or money.
- Alex and Thrash in bizarre love triangle!
- All that, and there's still the Baldwin love triangle and Jim and Gwen's bust-up to come.
- There is nothing remarkable about the plot, which revolves around the classic love triangle.
- We made love all afternoon.
- Billy was on top of Valencia, making love to her.
- It sickened her that she could have made love with Tom and be able to remember nothing of it.
- Next time we make love I want it perfect, with all the time in the world for each other.
- Not all people who make love want to have a baby.
- They lie on a mattress in the living room and make love by candlelight.
- Would they make love all day at some hot, steamy house somewhere in this glittering cosmopolitan city?
- Dad and Charles send their love.
- I am fine and your family is in good health and send their love.
- Now I am alone except for this unwilling stranger and even to him I gave my love freely. 6.
- Of course, she sent her love to Jean.
- Open now your hearts to me; give your love to me.
- Please give my love to Christopher - will speak to you soon.
- Please send me a couple of views of St Albans. Give my love to Kitty.
- We are all fine and Chris and Nick send their love.
- Ah, come on; all's fair in love and war, Cameron.
- It wasn't just the usual liaison: the two of them fell head over heels in love.
- And, unknown to her father, I fell hopelessly in love with her.
- I was too afraid of falling hopelessly in love with this protégé of Yukio Mishima, whose marvellous homoerotic poems I translated.
- James Pawsey, the Tory member for Rugby, also appeared to be hopelessly in love.
- She was falling hopelessly in love with the man.
- But for Mavis Hindmarsh and her team of volunteers furniture removal is a labour of love.
- But then it was a labour of love.
- Compiling such a list was a labour of love - too pleasurable an activity to pursue in office hours.
- David Croft and Jimmy Perry's sitcom was a labour of love.
- For Joan it has been a labour of love and provides an amusing and detailed insight into medicine in the town.
- It is a labour of love by Professor A. G. Toth and primarily for specialists.
- Male speaker It's a labour of love looking after Dinmore.
- Mervyn Gowell was a fitter at the plant and says that working on the Meteor was a labour of love.
- And even when the tires went flat or the road grew rough, we loved every minute of the journey.
- And he thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
- And I give it all I got and enjoy every minute of it.
- But we were careless and happy and full of fun, and enjoyed every minute of the day.
- He went down early each morning and jumped up and down in the briny, enjoying every minute of it.
- I got a goal and enjoyed every minute of it.
- I know we all enjoyed every minute of the three hectic months.
- The first mile was pure pain and I hated every minute of it.
- Anabelle, my dear, you must try some.
- Hence my love for film and my desire to make films as a director and... actor.
- Oh, and give this bottle of Krug with my love to Charity when you see her.
- The measure of my outrage and anger was the measure of my love for you.
- Then, my dear Summerlee, it is that most wonderful of devices: a perpetual motion machine!
- He sends his best wishes to everybody at home.
- Mr Mason sends his best wishes for the success of the event.
- In the world of rehabilitating addicts, this is known as showing your child tough love.
- It was just a good, tough love story, and that was one of the parts that made it tough.
WORD FAMILYadjectivelovable ≠ unlovablelovelesslovelylovingunlovednounloveloverloveliness.loveyverbloveadverblovingly
1for family/friends [uncountable] a strong feeling of caring about someone, especially a member of your family or a close friend OPP hate, hatred: What these kids need is love and support.love for a mother’s love for her child2romantic [uncountable] a strong feeling of liking someone a lot combined with sexual attractionlove for Their love for each other grew deeper every day. Tara is madly in love with you.3person you love [countable] someone that you feel a strong romantic and sexual attraction to: He was her first love.the love of your life (=the person that you feel or felt the most love for)4pleasure/enjoyment a)[singular, uncountable] a strong feeling of pleasure and enjoyment that something gives youlove of/for my love of nature He had a great love of music. I fell in love with Amsterdam the very first time I visited the city. b)[countable] something that gives you a lot of pleasure and enjoyment: Sailing was her great love.5make love (to/with somebody) a)to have sex with someone that you love b)old use to say loving things to someone, to kiss them etc6send/give your love (to somebody), send/give somebody your love to ask someone to give your loving greetings to someone else when they see them, write to them etc: Aunt Mary sends her love.7love (from somebody)/lots of love/all my love written used at the end of a letter to a friend, a member of your family, or someone you love: See you soon. Lots of love, Clare.8(my) love British English spoken informal a)a word used when you are talking to someone you love SYN darling: ‘Hello, love,’ said her father. b)a friendly way of talking to someone who you do not know, especially to a woman or child. Many women consider this to be impolite or offensive: What’s your name, love?9be a love and .../... there’s a love British English spoken used when you are asking someone, especially children and members of your family, to do something: Give these to your sisters, there’s a love.10there is no love lost between somebody and somebody if there is no love lost between two people, they dislike each other11tennis [uncountable] an expression meaning ‘no points’, used in the game of tennis12not for love or/nor money informal if you cannot get something or do something for love or money, it is impossible to obtain or to do: I can’t get hold of that book for love nor money.13love triangle a situation in which someone is having a sexual relationship with the partner of a close friend – used especially in newspapers14for the love of God (also for the love of Mike/Pete) old-fashioned spoken used to show that you are extremely angry, disappointed etc → a labour of love at labour1(4)COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2verbsbe in love· Are you in love with her?fall in love (=start being in love)· I fell in love with her the minute I saw her.find love (=meet someone to love)· I never thought I would find love.return somebody’s love (=love someone who loves you)· Estella does not return Pip’s love.phraseslove at first sight (=when you love someone as soon as you meet them)· For Marion and Ron it was love at first sight.very much in love· They were obviously very much in love.madly/deeply in love (=very much in love)· I married Dan because I was madly in love.head over heels in love (=very much in love)· The two of them fell head over heels in love.love is blind (=used to say that people do not notice the faults of the person they love)· Love is blind, I guess. How else could he stand to be with her?adjectivestrue love (=real love)· She felt that she had finally found true love.real love· You could see real love in their eyes.romantic love· Romantic love was not always the reason for marriage.sexual love· Venus was the Roman goddess of sexual love.unrequited love (=love for someone who does not love you)· She had a secret, unrequited love for Harrison.undying love (=love that does not stop)· She and I swore undying love.passionate love· He wrote about his passionate love for her.love + NOUNa love song/story· a tragic love storya love letter· She found a love letter from another woman in his wallet.THESAURUSlove noun [uncountable] a feeling of liking someone very much and caring a lot about them – used about people in your family, or someone you feel sexually attracted to: · All children need love, attention, and encouragement.· We don’t need words to express our love for each other.affection noun [uncountable] a gentle feeling of love which makes you want to be kind to someone and show them that you love them – used especially about friends and members of your family: · My mother never showed us us any affection.· Alison and I had been at school together, and I felt great affection for her.devotion noun [uncountable] very strong love for someone in which you want to give them a lot of attention and look after them – used especially about strong feelings of love for your wife, husband, children etc: · His recovery is largely due to the devotion of his wife and familypassion noun [uncountable] a strong and exciting feeling of love for someone you are extremely sexually attracted to: · He loved her still, with just the same passion as he always had.· There was no passion in their relationship.infatuation noun [countable, uncountable] a strong feeling of love for someone, in which you cannot stop thinking about them, and which seems silly because you do not know them very well: · She hoped that his ridiculous infatuation would soon wear off.· His infatuation with Diane seemed to be growing.· a childhood infatuationromance noun [uncountable] the feeling of loving someone and the nice things you do to show this – used about someone you are sexually attracted to: · The romance had gone out of their relationship.· In the UK, one in ten people have found romance over the Internet.crush noun [countable] a very strong feeling of love and sexual attraction for someone such as a teacher or a famous person, especially when there is no chance of you having a relationship with that person because you are much younger than them: · She had a teenage crush on one of her teachers.· I had a big crush on Tom Cruise when I was growing up.· a schoolgirl crush