love

Where do we begin? Love is often classified and categorized in terms of what type of relationship is being discussed, such as with terms like romantic love and platonic love, or with fancier words like eros or agape.

People who love each other romantically are said to be in love. Instantaneous love is called love at first sight.

Love is often described in terms of how serious or deep it is, as in terms like true love and unconditional love, or whether it’s reciprocated, as in unrequited love.

Synonyms for love that can imply varying levels of intensity or intimacy include fondness, affection, devotion, and adoration.

Love is also used as a noun in the sense of a person you love or have loved romantically, as in She was my first love or It’s a story of two loves reunited. The word lover is sometimes used in the same way, but this typically implies a sexual relationship. The word love is also often used in the context of sex in euphemisms like make love.

In more general contexts, we call the people we love loved ones. You might call someone my love as a term of endearment, much like my dear or my darling. Someone who is well loved is often described as beloved.

As a verb, there are a few synonyms that are sometimes used for love, such as adore, admire, cherish, and even treasure. But many words don’t really capture the fullness and depth of what love can mean.

For that, we usually look to the poets.

Among the wisest said that Love is a battlefield. Others have said that Love is all you need (all you need is love). If you’ve been to a lot of weddings, you’ve heard that love is patient, love is kind—love never fails. Shakespeare didn’t say that Love is a many splendored thing, but he did say that Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.

Love is a lot of things. Love is a four-letter word. LOVE is a sculpture in Philadelphia (the city of brotherly love—not to be confused with the other City of Love). In tennis, love is nothing. In life, love is everything.

Some people see love as a feeling, an emotion. Others see it as an action. In this sense, perhaps the closest synonym for love is work. That’s what’s meant when it’s said that Love is a verb—love is a doing word.

Sometimes, there’s no other word for it, no better way to say it: love is love.

Synonyms for love tend to capture only some aspects or elements of love.

The verb adore means to feel intense love for someone—and adoration can be mutual.

Still, despite how common the word is, and how easily it gets tossed around, love is often the strongest word you can use. I love you may be a set phrase, but there really is no equal for it. Perhaps the strongest way to use the word love is not just to say it, but to prove you mean it by showing it.

Of course, love is also commonly used as a way of saying you really like something, as in I love your shoes! In this case, love is the stronger word. Perhaps an even stronger way to say this is by avoiding a love/like construction altogether. For example, instead of saying I love your shoes, you could say Your shoes are fabulous! or Your shoes are EVERYTHING! or however you want to express how amazing they are.