English Reference
adjective

loved

adj.
US /ˈɫəvd/ UK /lˈʌvd/ loved

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    describes someone or something that is very dear to you and that you care for deeply.

    held in deep affection; cherished by others. Often used as an attributive adjective.

    Simple

    The child refused to go to sleep without her loved teddy bear.

    In context

    The retired professor was a loved figure in the small college town, known for his kindness to generations of students.

Usage loved ones · loved one


From Middle English loved, luvd, from Old English lufode, first and third person singular past indicative of lufian; and Middle English loved, iloved, from Old English ġelufod, past participle of lufian; both equivalent to love + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English ġelufod
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated