lover
noun
a person who is in love with another.
lover
1 American
[luhv-er]
/ ˈlʌv ər /
noun
-
a person who is in love with another.
-
a person who has a sexual or romantic relationship with another.
-
a person with whom one conducts an extramarital sexual affair.
-
a person who has a strong enjoyment or liking for something, as specified.
a lover of music.
- Synonyms:
- fan, enthusiast, devotee
-
a person who loves, especially a person who has or shows a warm and general affectionate regard for others.
a lover of humankind.
Lover
2
American
[luhv-er]
/ ˈlʌv ər /
noun
lover
British
/ ˈlʌvə /
noun
-
a person, now esp a man, who has an extramarital or premarital sexual relationship with another person
-
(often plural) either of the two people involved in a love affair
-
-
someone who loves a specified person or thing
a lover of music
-
( in combination )
a music-lover
a cat-lover
-
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lover
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like many a cat lover, Baseman whips out a phone to share videos of his beloved feline muses.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Among its former residents were General Robert Ross, who orchestrated the burning of the White House in Washington DC in 1814; and Lady Hamilton, who was known as Admiral Nelson's lover.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
And Alison is the kind of plucky heroine who teases her lover about his research: “Lost treasures, haunted priories, secret maps? I think I saw that movie once.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Julian began the series in the early ’90s after coming out, dedicating his work to his lover, Christopher.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
He often goes on holiday in France in the autumn, as he is a great lover of wine.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
