love
verb/lʌv/
/lʌv/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they love | /lʌv/ /lʌv/ |
| he / she / it loves | /lʌvz/ /lʌvz/ |
| past simple loved | /lʌvd/ /lʌvd/ |
| past participle loved | /lʌvd/ /lʌvd/ |
| -ing form loving | /ˈlʌvɪŋ/ /ˈlʌvɪŋ/ |
- love somebody/something (not used in the progressive tenses) to have very strong feelings of liking and caring for somebody
- I love you.
- If you love each other, why not get married?
- Her much-loved brother lay dying.
- He had become a well-loved member of staff.
- Relatives need time to grieve over loved ones they have lost.
- to love your country
Synonyms lovelovelike ▪ be fond of somebody ▪ adore ▪ be devoted to somebody ▪ care for somebody ▪ dote on somebodyThese words all mean to have feelings of liking or caring for somebody.love to have strong feelings of caring for somebody:- I love you.
- She’s nice. I like her.
- I’ve always been very fond of your mother.
- It’s obvious that she adores him.
- They are devoted to their children.
- He cared for her more than she realized.
- He dotes on his children.
- to really love/like/adore/care for/dote on somebody
- to be really/genuinely fond of/devoted to somebody
- to love/like/care for somebody very much
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsa1- He loved his wife dearly.
- She wanted to be unconditionally loved.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- dearly
- deeply
- passionately
- …
- (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to like or enjoy something very much synonym adore
- love something I absolutely love your shoes.
- I really love summer evenings.
- love it when somebody does something I just love it when you bring me presents!
- love it They love it in Spain (= they like the life there).
- He loved the way she smiled.
- It was one of his best-loved songs.
- (ironic) You're going to love this. They've changed their minds again.
- love doing something (especially British English) My dad loves watching football.
- love to do something (especially North American English) I love to go out dancing.
- love somebody/something to do something He loved her to sing to him.
- (informal) be loving something I'm loving my new leather jacket.
- be loving doing something She's loving living in New York.
Grammar Point want / like / love / hate / thinkwant / like / love / hate / think- These verbs belong to a group known as stative verbs because they describe a state rather than an action (although think can describe either an action or a state). Stative verbs are not usually used in the progressive tenses. However, it is becoming more common for some stative verbs to be used with progressive tenses. Stative verbs such as want, like, love, hate and think are sometimes used in informal language to describe a state at a particular moment, or a state that continues for a period of time:
- Why are you wanting a new phone when your current one works perfectly well?
- What shall we do tonight? I’m thinking bowling.
- I’m loving the weather today!
Synonyms likelikelove ▪ be fond of ▪ be keen on something ▪ adoreThese words all mean to find something pleasant, attractive or of a good enough standard, or to enjoy something.like to find something pleasant, attractive or of a good enough standard; to enjoy something:- Do you like their new house?
- I like to see them enjoying themselves.
- He loved the way she smiled.
- We were fond of the house and didn’t want to leave.
- I’m not keen on spicy food.
- She’s not keen on being told what to do.
- She adores working with children.
- to like/love/be fond of/be keen on/adore doing something
- to like/love to do something
- to like/love something very much
- I like/love/adore it here/there/when…
- to like/love/adore the way somebody does something
- to really like/love/adore somebody/something
- to be really fond of/keen on something
Extra ExamplesTopics Preferences and decisionsa1, Feelingsa1- Flowers are universally loved.
- She simply loved being involved.
- I'm loving every minute of this.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- dearly
- deeply
- passionately
- …
- would loveused to say that you would very much like something
- would love to do something Come on Rory, the kids would love to hear you sing.
- I haven't been to Brazil, but I'd love to go.
- would love somebody/something to do something I'd love her to come and live with us.
- would love something ‘Coffee?’ ‘I'd love one, thanks.’
- (informal) would love for somebody/something to do something We would love for you to contact us.
- I'd love for my kids to learn another language.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- dearly
- deeply
- passionately
- …
liking and caring
like/enjoy
Word OriginOld English lufu, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit lubhyati ‘desires’, Latin libet ‘it is pleasing’, libido ‘desire’, also by the noun leave and lief.
Idioms
See love in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee love in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishlove you and leave you
- (informal, humorous) used to say that you must go, although you would like to stay longer
- Well, time to love you and leave you.
Check pronunciation:
love