English Reference

Phrasal verb

love away

Definition

phrasal verb. to make someone's bad feelings or pain disappear by showing them a lot of love.

phrasal verb. to cause a negative emotional state or distress to dissipate through the application of affection. This resultative phrasal verb uses 'away' to indicate the removal or disappearance of the object.

Examples

“She tried to love his worries away.”

“After the child's nightmare, his parents stayed with him all night to love the fear away.”

“The novel explores the naive belief that a stable home environment can love away the psychological damage of early childhood neglect.”

Examples

simple

“She tried to love his worries away.”

contextual

“After the child's nightmare, his parents stayed with him all night to love the fear away.”

complex

“The novel explores the naive belief that a stable home environment can love away the psychological damage of early childhood neglect.”

Usage

The object is typically an abstract noun representing a negative feeling like pain, fear, or sadness.

Teaching tip

Highlight the resultative function of 'away', which appears in many verbs like 'wash away' or 'scare away' to indicate something vanishing.

Pitfall

I will love away you.

I will love your sadness away.

The object must be the feeling you want to remove, not the person receiving the love.

Phrasal verb

Particles

away

Separability

optional

Pattern

love + object + away

Synonyms

soothedispeleasecomfort

Antonyms

aggravateintensify

Grammar

Phrasal verbs (introduction)

This entry

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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
Level
C1 · Advanced
Updated

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