loves
loves — verb
- lovespresent simple I / you / we / they
- loveses3rd person singular
- lovesing-ing form
- lovesedpast simple
1. to feel romantic or family-based affection so strongly for someone that you care
to feel romantic or family-based affection so strongly for someone that you care deeply about them, want to protect them, and enjoy being with them — for example, the way a person feels about their partner, their child, or their best friend.
Yuki loves her husband deeply and still writes him letters after twenty years.
love + person + adverb: deeply/truly/genuinely
Theo loves his younger sister and walks her to school every morning.
Aicha loves her grandmother and visits her every Sunday after church.
Pedro loves his parents, even though he lives far away now.
The little dog loves its owner and wags its tail whenever she comes home.
文法句型
love + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense describes a deep, lasting emotional bond. It is much stronger than 'like' — compare with sense 2 (ENJOY GREATLY), which refers to things or activities rather than people.
常見錯誤
2. to get a very strong feeling of pleasure and enjoyment from an activity, object,
to get a very strong feeling of pleasure and enjoyment from an activity, object, or experience — for example, loving the taste of a particular food, loving the feeling of dancing, or loving a hobby so much that you do it whenever you can.
Mei loves mango sticky rice and orders it whenever she goes to the night market.
love + noun phrase for favourite foods
Chen loves playing the guitar and practices for two hours every evening.
Sofia loves her new bicycle and rides it to work along the river path.
Omar loves watching old black-and-white films from the 1950s.
The children love swimming at the beach during summer vacation.
- adore
slightly more informal and emotional; 'I adore this restaurant'
- be crazy about
informal; suggests strong enthusiasm or obsession
- be fond of
milder and more formal; less intense than 'love'
文法句型
love + noun phrase
love + -ing form
用法筆記
This sense is used for things, activities, and experiences — not for people (use sense 1 for people). In informal speech it is very common: 'I love your new haircut!' means you think it looks great, not that you feel deep affection for the haircut.
常見錯誤
3. a polite formula used when offering or accepting something that communicates a s
a polite formula used when offering or accepting something that communicates a strong desire for it — for instance, telling someone you would love to attend their wedding, or would love a glass of water after a long walk.
Fatima said she would love to join the team and help with the science fair.
would love + to-infinitive for offering help
We would love to visit your new apartment when you finish moving in.
Lin would love a cup of hot tea after walking home in the rain.
Kwame and Anita would love to see you at their wedding next June.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the new proposal when you have time.
- would like
slightly less enthusiastic but equally polite; 'I would like to join you'
- would be delighted to
more formal; used in written invitations or formal offers
文法句型
would love + to-infinitive
would love + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always used with 'would' — do not use this sense in simple present tense ('I love to join you' is sense 2; it sounds like you enjoy joining as a routine activity, not a polite offer). 'Would love' is softer and more polite than 'want'.
常見錯誤
loves — noun
- lovessingular
- lovesesplural
1. An intense, heartfelt bond of care and fondness toward another person — whether
An intense, heartfelt bond of care and fondness toward another person — whether the romantic passion you feel for a partner or the warm, enduring closeness with a parent, child, or lifelong friend.
Mei-Lin felt a deep love for her grandmother, who had raised her since childhood.
love + for + person (familial)
The love between Javier and Fatima never faded despite years of living apart.
love + between + two people
Parents show their love by waking up early to prepare meals for their children.
True love means wanting the best for someone, even when you must let go.
Oleg wrote a love letter to thank his best friend, Dmitri, for the support.
- hatred
An intense feeling of dislike or hostility toward someone.
文法句型
someone's love for someone
love + between + people
用法筆記
This is the broadest sense of 'love' as a noun, covering romantic, familial, and close-friendship bonds. Distinguish from sense 5, which refers only to the romantic state of being in love.
常見錯誤
2. A person with whom you have a romantic bond — a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, o
A person with whom you have a romantic bond — a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, or someone you care for deeply in a romantic way.
Thiago sent flowers to his love, Keiko, on the anniversary of their first date.
possessive + love + person's name (apposition)
The old man whispered to his sleeping love, Amara, that he would always stay near.
Omar, Ananya's new love, joined the family for Sunday dinner and won everyone over with his charm.
In the film, the hero searches across the world for his one true love.
- sweetheart
A warm, slightly old-fashioned term; more common in speech than writing.
- partner
A neutral term for someone in a long-term romantic relationship, without specifying gender or marital status.
- stranger
A person you do not know and have no bond with.
文法句型
possessive + love
someone's one true love
用法筆記
Frequently used with a possessive pronoun (my love, his love, her new love). 'One true love' is a set phrase for the person you believe you are destined to be with.
常見錯誤
3. A warm, familiar way to speak to someone you know well or to show kindness to a
A warm, familiar way to speak to someone you know well or to show kindness to a stranger, used especially in British English.
Don't worry, love, the train will arrive soon,' the station guard told the worried passenger.
direct address from a service worker to a stranger
The café owner said, 'What can I get you today, love?' with a friendly smile.
'Cheer up, love — there are other jobs out there,' said Wei-Chen to his friend.
'Thanks so much for the lift, love,' the elderly lady said to her neighbor Javier.
文法句型
love (as direct address)
用法筆記
Common in northern England and in service contexts (shopkeepers, waitstaff addressing customers). Not typically used in American English, where 'dear' or 'hon' may be more common. Can be perceived as patronizing if used with someone much older or in a formal setting.
常見錯誤
4. A friendly expression placed just above your signature in a letter, card, or ema
A friendly expression placed just above your signature in a letter, card, or email that you send to someone you know well and feel close to.
Hiroshi ended his email to his sister with 'Love, Hiroshi' and pressed send.
Love, + [name] — standard informal closing
Aisha wrote 'Lots of love, Mum' at the bottom of the birthday card.
Lots of love, + [name] — warmer variant
The letter to her daughter began formally but closed with 'All my love, Grandma.'
Omar ended his message to Fatima by typing 'With love, always' before signing off.
- yours
More formal and widely used in British English; works for both personal and semi-formal letters.
- best wishes
A neutral, polite closing suitable for acquaintances and distant relatives.
文法句型
Love, + [name]
All my love, + [name]
Lots of love, + [name]
用法筆記
Used only with people you have a close personal relationship with — not in business correspondence or with acquaintances. 'Lots of love' and 'All my love' are more emphatic than a simple 'Love,'.
常見錯誤
5. The romantic state of being emotionally and physically devoted to someone, usual
The romantic state of being emotionally and physically devoted to someone, usually involving shared life, trust, and mutual care.
After two years together, Aisha realized she was truly in love with Dmitri.
be + in + love + with + someone
Being in love made Yuki want to share her daily life with Thiago.
The couple's love was obvious to everyone who saw them holding hands in the park.
Elena wrote in her journal that love felt like coming home to a warm room.
- indifference
A lack of strong feeling or interest in someone.
文法句型
be + in + love
fall + in + love
stay + in + love
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense focuses specifically on romantic love as a state or condition, not the general capacity for affection. The phrase 'in love' almost always signals this sense.
常見錯誤
6. The initial stage of romantic attachment — the moment or gradual process of begi
The initial stage of romantic attachment — the moment or gradual process of beginning to feel romantic attraction toward someone, before the relationship becomes a settled state of being in love.
It was love at first sight when Mateo saw Priya playing violin in the park.
love at first sight — sudden romantic discovery
Kwame and Elena's love grew slowly over months of studying together at the library.
Omar told his mother that his love for Wei-Chen had started during a summer internship.
The film follows a young couple whose love grows during a rainy Taipei evening.
- infatuation
A more intense but shorter-lived form of attraction; less stable than love.
文法句型
love at first sight
it was love when/because...
用法筆記
This sense describes the origin or early development of romantic feelings — the process of starting to fall in love. Distinguish from sense 5 (BEING IN LOVE), which describes the settled emotional state of being already in love. Look for cues like 'first sight', 'started', 'began', or 'grew' to identify this sense.
常見錯誤
7. a very strong positive feeling you have when you really enjoy an activity, a sub
a very strong positive feeling you have when you really enjoy an activity, a subject, or an experience — for example, a love of music, a love of adventure, or a love of good food.
Mei-Lin's love of classical music began when she was six.
love of + [activity/subject]
Kenji's love for cooking led him to open a small restaurant.
The children's love of adventure took them to every corner of the park.
Fatima's love for languages helped her learn Spanish and Japanese.
A deep love of the ocean drew the Watanabe family to the coastal town.
- passion
stronger than love, suggests an intense emotional drive
- enjoyment
weaker and more general; pleasure from an activity without strong devotion
- enthusiasm
focuses on eager interest rather than sustained emotional attachment
- hatred
the opposite of strong enjoyment
文法句型
love + of + noun/-ing
love + for + noun/-ing
用法筆記
Frequently followed by the prepositions of or for introducing the thing enjoyed. Unlike sense 1, there is no romantic or familial relationship involved.
常見錯誤
8. an activity, object, or place that you care about very much and that gives you g
an activity, object, or place that you care about very much and that gives you great happiness — for example, a hobby that is described as your greatest love.
Painting was Ananya's greatest love, even more than writing poetry.
greatest love for describing a top passion
This old guitar is one of Diego's greatest loves.
For Tomo, photography became a lifelong love after a trip to Kyoto.
Sofia's love for that little café brought her back every weekend.
文法句型
someone's love
the love of someone's life
用法筆記
Often used in the superlative (greatest love, first love) to rank what matters most to a person. Unlike sense 7, this sense refers to a specific thing you love, not the general feeling of enjoyment.
常見錯誤
9. the term used in tennis when a player or team has not won any points at all — fo
the term used in tennis when a player or team has not won any points at all — for example, a game score of forty-love or a set result of six-love.
The score was forty-love when the rain began to fall.
score format: forty-love = 40-0
Omar served two aces to bring the game to thirty-love.
Elena started strong with a love game in the first set.
The defending champion won the final set six-love.
- zero
general term; love is the tennis-specific term for zero
文法句型
[number]-love
love game
love set
用法筆記
Specific to tennis scoring; also used in squash and some racquet sports. Always means zero — the phrase has no connection to the emotion of love. A love game means a game where the loser scored zero points.