Wordbay · Love & friendship

Words for love and friendship

Words for the people you hold close, from easy friendship to being hopelessly smitten, and for the ways those bonds bend and break.

Everyday (16)

affinity noun. A natural liking for, or sense of connection with, someone or something.
amicable adjective. Friendly and without bad feeling, especially after a disagreement.
ardent adjective. Passionate and enthusiastic.
besotted adjective. So strongly infatuated that you can think of little else.
camaraderie noun. Trust and friendship among people who spend time or work together.
confidant noun. A trusted person you share your secrets and private worries with.
estranged adjective. No longer close to, or in touch with, someone you were once close to.
gregarious adjective. Fond of company and happiest among other people.
infatuation noun. An intense, usually short-lived passion for someone or something.
kindred adjective. Alike in nature, outlook or tastes; closely related.
platonic adjective. Of a close relationship: affectionate, but not romantic or sexual.
rapport noun. A close, easy understanding between people who relate well.
reconcile verb. To restore friendly relations between people after a quarrel.
smitten adjective. Suddenly and deeply in love, or charmed.
solace noun. Comfort in a time of sadness or distress.
unrequited adjective. Of love: not returned by the person it is felt for.

amity noun. Peaceful friendship, especially between groups or nations.
amorous adjective. Showing or feeling romantic or sexual desire.
betrothed noun. The person someone has formally promised to marry.
companionable adjective. Friendly and pleasant to be with, in an easy, unforced way.
conjugal adjective. Relating to marriage or to the relationship between a married couple.
convivial adjective. Friendly, lively and good-humoured, especially around food and drink.
coquettish adjective. Playfully flirtatious, often without serious intent.
cordial adjective. Warm and friendly, often in a polite or formal way.
dalliance noun. A brief, casual romance, or a passing interest in something.
doting adjective. Showing great, sometimes uncritical, love and affection.
enamoured adjective. Filled with love or strong admiration for someone or something.
fidelity noun. Faithfulness to a partner, a promise or a cause.
kismet noun. Destiny or fate, especially when it seems to bring good fortune.
lovelorn adjective. Unhappy because your love is not returned, or has been lost.
paramour noun. A secret lover, especially of someone who is married.
philander verb. Of a man: to have many casual affairs, often while in a relationship.
solicitous adjective. Showing anxious care and attention for someone’s comfort or wellbeing.
tryst noun. A secret meeting between lovers.

amatory adjective. Relating to or expressing romantic or sexual love.
celibate adjective. Unmarried, especially because of a religious vow.
epithalamium noun. A poem or song written to celebrate a wedding.
inamorata noun. A woman who is someone’s lover or sweetheart.
limerence noun. The all-consuming, obsessive early stage of romantic attraction to someone.
osculate verb. To kiss (a formal or jokey word).
philtre noun. A magic potion supposed to make someone fall in love.
propinquity noun. Nearness in place or time, often the reason people grow close.
swain noun. A young male lover or suitor (now usually humorous).
troth noun. A solemn promise of faithfulness, especially the one made at a wedding.
uxorious adjective. Excessively fond of, or submissive to, your wife.