lover means one who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. It carries an Arena rating of 1420, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, lover ranks #6,766 of 17,052 for Most Malleable Words, #7,979 of 17,052 for Most Satisfying to Say, #7,979 of 17,052 for Most Exacting Words, #8,005 of 17,052 for Most Whimsical Words.
lover is pronounced /ˈlʌvɚ/.
Why “lover” is a great word
A person who loves another romantically or sexually, or one who has a strong fondness for something. From Middle English *lovere*, *luffer*, *lufere*, equivalent to 'love' plus the agentive suffix '-er' (one who does), first recorded in English in the early 13th century. Unlike "spouse" (which denotes a legally married partner, bound by contract) or "admirer" (which suggests affectionate regard from a distance), "lover" carries the heat of mutual longing, the risk of emotion laid bare, and the quiet devotion of choosing another again and again outside the gaze of law. It is the hand trembling at the small of a back in a crowded room, the scent of someone’s hair lingering on a pillow, the dog-eared book passed back with marginalia in a familiar hand—the fragile, fierce architecture of desire built not on paper, but on breath.
Etymology
From Middle English lovere, luffer, lufere, equivalent to love + -er.
noun
- One who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse.
- A sexual partner, especially one with whom someone is having an affair.e.g.“Be my bad boy, be my man / Be my weekend lover, but don't be my friend / You can be my bad boy, but understand / That I don't need you in my life again”
- A person who loves something.e.g.“a lover of fine wines”
- An informal term of address for any friend.e.g.“All right, my lover?”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.