affectionate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
showing that you love or like someone very much through your actions or words.
feeling or showing a high degree of fondness, tenderness, or love toward another person.
Simple“He is very affectionate and always gives his parents a hug when he sees them.”
In context“The child was remarkably affectionate, often leaning his head against his mother's shoulder while she read to him in the evenings.”
Usageoften used to describe people or their physical gestures like hugs.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
describing a look, a touch, or a letter that shows love.
characterised by or proceeding from affection; used to describe specific actions or communications that convey warmth.
Simple“She wrote an affectionate note to her grandmother to thank her for the gift.”
In context“The couple exchanged an affectionate glance across the crowded room, sharing a private moment of connection amidst the noise.”
Usagefrequently modifies nouns like 'glance', 'letter', or 'embrace'.
Antonyms
Learned borrowing from Latin affectiōnātus. By surface analysis, affection + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of aficionado.
Either from the above adjective by metanalysis or from affection + -ate (verb-forming suffix) (modelled on Middle French affectionner (French affectionner)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.