lover

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

lov·er

(lŭv′ər)

a. One who loves another, especially one who is involved in a romantic or sexual relationship with another.

b. lovers A couple who are in love with each other.

2. One who is fond of or devoted to something: a lover of fine food.

lov′er·ly adv. & adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

lover

(ˈlʌvə)

1. a person, now esp a man, who has an extramarital or premarital sexual relationship with another person

2. (often plural) either of the two people involved in a love affair

a. someone who loves a specified person or thing: a lover of music.

b. (in combination): a music-lover; a cat-lover.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

lov•er

(ˈlʌv ər)

n.

1. a person who is in love with another.

2. a person who has a sexual or romantic relationship with another.

3. paramour (def. 1).

4. a devotee of something: a lover of music.

[1175–1225]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	lover - a person who loves someone or is loved by someone individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" adorer, admirer - someone who admires a young woman; "she had many admirers" beloved, dear, dearest, honey, love - a beloved person; used as terms of endearment betrothed - the person to whom you are engaged beau, boyfriend, swain, young man, fellow - a man who is the lover of a girl or young woman; "if I'd known he was her boyfriend I wouldn't have asked" darling, dearie, deary, ducky, favorite, favourite, pet - a special loved one lady friend, girlfriend, girl - a girl or young woman with whom a man is romantically involved; "his girlfriend kicked him out" idoliser, idolizer - a lover blind with admiration and devotion inamorata - a woman with whom you are in love or have an intimate relationship inamorato - a man with whom you are in love or have an intimate relationship kisser, osculator - someone who kisses necker - a lover who necks fondler, petter - a lover who gently fondles and caresses the loved one; "they are heavy petters" Romeo - an ardent male lover soul mate - someone for whom you have a deep affinity squeeze - (slang) a person's girlfriend or boyfriend; "she was his main squeeze" steady, sweetheart, sweetie, truelove - a person loved by another person
	2.	lover - an ardent follower and admirer buff, devotee, fan followers, following - a group of followers or enthusiasts aerophile - a lover of aviation aficionado - a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer amorist - one dedicated to love and lovemaking especially one who writes about love bacchanal, bacchant - a drunken reveller; a devotee of Bacchus follower - a person who accepts the leadership of another groupie - an enthusiastic young fan (especially a young woman who follows rock groups around) metalhead - a fan of heavy metal music
	3.	lover - a significant other to whom you are not related by marriage domestic partner, significant other, spousal equivalent, spouse equivalent - a person (not necessarily a spouse) with whom you cohabit and share a long-term sexual relationship paramour, fancy man - a woman's lover man - a male person who plays a significant role (husband or lover or boyfriend) in the life of a particular woman; "she takes good care of her man" kept woman, mistress, fancy woman - an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

lover

noun sweetheart, beloved, loved one, beau, flame (informal), mistress, admirer, suitor, swain (archaic), woman friend, lady friend, man friend, toy boy, paramour, leman (archaic), fancy bit (slang), boyfriend or girlfriend, fancy man or fancy woman (slang), fiancé or fiancée, inamorata or inamorato They became lovers soon after they first met.

Quotations
"All mankind love a lover" [Ralph Waldo Emerson Spiritual Laws]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

lover

noun

1. A person's regular sexual partner:

paramour.

2. One who ardently admires:

admirer, devotee, enthusiast, fancier.

Informal: fan.

Translations

حَبيب، مَعْشوق، عَشيقعاشقعشيقمحبمُحِب، هاوٍ

milenecmilovník-ice-ka

elsker=-elsker

Geliebte Liebhaber Lover Geliebter Gespielin

εραστής ερωμένη

amante enamorado aficionado

rakastaja

amant amateur amoureux

ljubavnik

kedvelõszerető

áhugamaîur, unnandi, vinurelskhugi, kærasti

amante innamorato

恋人愛人

연인

любовник любовница охотник любитель любительница

milenec

ljubimeczaljubljenec

älskare

คู่รัก

aşıkdüşkünü kişisever sevgili

người yêu

情人爱好者

lover

[ˈlʌvəʳ]

A. N

1. (sexually) → amante mf; (romantically) → enamorado/a m/f
the lovers → los amantes
we were lovers for two years → durante dos años fuimos amantes
he became her lover → se hizo su amante
so she took a lover → así que se echó un amante

2. (= fan) → aficionado/a m/f
music lover; lover of music → aficionado/a m/f a la música, amante mf de la música
cinema lovers → los aficionados al cine, los amantes del cine
he is a great lover of the violin → es un gran aficionado al or amante del violín

B. CPD lover boy N (hum, iro) → macho m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

lover

[ˈlʌvə^r] n

(= partner) → ami(e) m/f; (in extramarital relationship) → amant m, maîtresse f
to be lovers → être amants
to become lovers → devenir amants

(= enthusiast) a lover of sth [+ books, sport, football] → un(e) amateur/trice m/f de qch
She is a lover of good food → Elle est amatrice de bonne cuisine.
She is a great lover of horses
BUT Elle aime beaucoup les chevaux.
She is a music lover
BUT Elle est mélomane.
a lover of art, an art lover → un(e) amateur/trice m/f d'art
nature lovers → les amoureux de la naturelove scene n → scène f d'amour

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

lover

→ Liebhaber m, → Geliebte(r) m (old, liter), → Geliebte f; the lovers → die Liebenden pl, → das Liebespaar; we were lovers for two years → wir waren zwei Jahre lang zusammen; Romeo and Juliet were lovers → Romeo und Julia liebten sich; so she took a lover → da nahm sie sich (dat) → einen Liebhaber

a lover of books → ein(e) Bücherfreund(in) m(f), → ein(e) Liebhaber(in) m(f) → von Büchern; a lover of good food → ein(e) Freund(in) or Liebhaber(in) m(f) → von gutem Essen; music-lover → Musikliebhaber(in) m(f) → or -freund(in) m(f); music-lover → Musikliebhaber(in) m(f) → or -freund(in) m(f); soccer lovers → Fußballanhänger or -begeisterte pl

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

lover

[ˈlʌvəʳ] n

a. (sexually) → amante m/f; (romantically) → innamorato/a

b. lover (of) (enthusiast) → appassionato/a (di)
he's a lover of good food → è un buongustaio, è un amante della buona tavola

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

love

(lav) noun

1. a feeling of great fondness or enthusiasm for a person or thing. She has a great love of music; her love for her children.

2. strong attachment with sexual attraction. They are in love with one another.

3. a person or thing that is thought of with (great) fondness (used also as a term of affection). Ballet is the love of her life; Goodbye, love!

4. a score of nothing in tennis. The present score is fifteen love (written 15–0).

verb

1. to be (very) fond of. She loves her children dearly.

2. to take pleasure in. They both love dancing.

ˈlovable adjective

(negative unlovable) easy to love or like; attractive. a lovable child.

ˈlovely adjective

1. (negative unlovely) beautiful; attractive. She is a lovely girl; She looked lovely in that dress.

2. delightful. Someone told me a lovely joke last night, but I can't remember it; a lovely meal.

ˈloveliness noun

ˈlover noun

1. a person who enjoys or admires or has a special affection for something. an art-lover; He is a lover of sport; an animal-lover.

2. a person who is having a love affair with another.

ˈloving adjective

ˈlovingly adverb

love affair

a (temporary and often sexual) relationship between two people who are in love but not married.

ˈlove-letter noun

a letter expressing love.

ˈlovesick adjective

sad because of being in love. a lovesick youth; lovesick glances.

fall in love (with)

to develop feelings of love and sexual attraction (for). He fell in love with her straightaway.

for love or money

in any way at all. We couldn't get a taxi for love or money.

make love

to have sexual intercourse.

there's no love lost between them

they dislike one another.

lover

→ مُحِبُّ milenec elsker Liebhaber εραστής amante rakastaja amant ljubavnik amante 愛人 연인 minnaar elsker kochanek amante любовник älskare คู่รัก aşık người yêu 情人

References in classic literature ?

Our heroine obeyed with great sweetness, and without having been able to take leave of her lover she set off to go to Locrinos as to certain death.

View in context

The feeling of furious anger with his wife, who would not observe the proprieties and keep to the one stipulation he had laid on her, not to receive her lover in her own home, gave him no peace.

View in context

I dare say that you remember, and therefore I need not remind you, that a lover, if lie is worthy of the name, ought to show his love, not to some one part of that which he loves, but to the whole.

View in context

But speaking of her, and, as the cat's light keeps me in a ruminating mood, suppose, instead of returning Mary to her lover by means of the letter, I had presented a certain clubman to her consideration?

View in context

Poet and sportsman, mystic and man of this world, a great polo player, and the passionate lover of one beautiful woman whose ill-starred fate inspired Po Chu-i, the tenderest of all their singers,** Ming Huang is more to literature than to history.

View in context

"Beautiful Alice laughed and said it was forty years since he had been her Aunt Una's lover. He had been a tall, handsome young man then, and her Aunt Una was a beautiful girl of nineteen.

View in context

"Where my lover calls I go-- Shame it were to treat him coldly--

View in context

"I have killed her lover, yes, killed my wife's lover.

View in context

As when two doves, or two wood-pigeons, or as when Strephon and Phyllis (for that comes nearest to the mark) are retired into some pleasant solitary grove, to enjoy the delightful conversation of Love, that bashful boy, who cannot speak in public, and is never a good companion to more than two at a time; here, while every object is serene, should hoarse thunder burst suddenly through the shattered clouds, and rumbling roll along the sky, the frightened maid starts from the mossy bank or verdant turf, the pale livery of death succeeds the red regimentals in which Love had before drest her cheeks, fear shakes her whole frame, and her lover scarce supports her trembling tottering limbs.

View in context

"During the ensuing days, while the preparations were going forward for the escape of the merchant, the zeal of Felix was warmed by several letters that he received from this lovely girl, who found means to express her thoughts in the language of her lover by the aid of an old man, a servant of her father who understood French.

View in context

She said Aunt Polly had a lover years ago, and they quarrelled.

View in context

Mainwaring's jealousy it was totally his own invention, and his account of her attaching Miss Mainwaring's lover was scarcely better founded.