Lover Meaning
/ˈlʌvɚ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse.
nounA sexual partner, especially one with whom someone is having an affair.
Sentence Examples
I have been a lover of sports since I was young.
I am a lover of the beautiful.
He denies murdering his wife's lover.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The devoted ____ always brought fresh flowers to his partner every morning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He is a great ____ of classical music and attends as many concerts as he can throughout the year.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English lovere, luffer, lufere, equivalent to love + -er.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[…]loue is blinde, and louers cannot ſee / The pretty follies that themſelues commit,[…]"
— c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vi], page 170, column 2:
"Well there's a wide wide world of noble causes / And lovely landscapes to discover / But all I really want to do right now / Is find another lover"
— 1976, Joni Mitchell, “Song For Sharon”, in Hejira:
"This is for the lover in you (take this ring) / This ring (It means I'll always be true) / This is (how we'll start love anew) This time (were gonna last forever)"
— 1980, Shalamar, “This Is For The Lover In You”, in Three For Love:
"When HBO airs “Behind the Candelabra” on May 26, the world will get to see Matt Damon play Liberace’s drug-addled, surgically enhanced lover – a role about as far from Jason Bourne as it gets."
— 2013 March 11, Adam Markovitz, “Matt Damon on (maybe) returning to ‘Bourne’ and playing Liberace’s lover”, in CNN:
"Now, there's one in California who's been cursing my name / 'Cause I found me a better lover in the UK, hey, hey / Until I made my getaway"
— 2014 September 23, Elle King, Dave Bassett, “Ex's & Oh's”, in Love Stuff, performed by Elle King:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The devoted ____ always brought fresh flowers to his partner every morning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He is a great ____ of classical music and attends as many concerts as he can throughout the year.