US /ˈlʌv.ləs/ UK /ˈlʌv.ləs/
adj Freq #28959

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    lacking love, affection, or emotional warmth

    They endured a loveless marriage held together only by duty.

  2. 2
    adj

    not receiving love or affection

    The neglected child grew up in a loveless household.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adj · lacking love, affection, or... unlovingaffectionlesscold
2 adj · not receiving love or... unlovedneglected
Word family
Derived forms lovelesslylovelessness
Related forms loveunloved

Etymology

From Middle English loveles, formed from love + -less. The suffix marks absence, yielding both the active sense 'showing no love' and the passive sense 'receiving no love.'

Topics

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