Word
affectionate
Phoneticsaf·fec·tion·ate, stress on the second syllable
US/əˈfɛkʃənət/
UK/ɐfˈɛkʃənət/
Definitions
01loving and caring
B1 · Intermediate
adj. showing that you love or like someone very much through your actions or words.
adj. feeling or showing a high degree of fondness, tenderness, or love toward another person.
“He is very affectionate and always gives his parents a hug when he sees them.”
“The child was remarkably affectionate, often leaning his head against his mother's shoulder while she read to him in the evenings.”
Usage
often used to describe people or their physical gestures like hugs.
02showing love in a gesture
B1 · Intermediate
adj. describing a look, a touch, or a letter that shows love.
adj. characterised by or proceeding from affection; used to describe specific actions or communications that convey warmth.
“She wrote an affectionate note to her grandmother to thank her for the gift.”
“The couple exchanged an affectionate glance across the crowded room, sharing a private moment of connection amidst the noise.”
Usage
frequently modifies nouns like 'glance', 'letter', or 'embrace'.
Antonyms
Etymology
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.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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