Beloved
What it means
Held in deep and enduring affection by a person or community.
Reach for it when honoring someone or something whose place in people's hearts is established
The beloved librarian remembered which stories each child liked best.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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everyday
Fits when close personal affection needs a simple word
Careful Dear is often too intimate for an institution loved by a whole town.
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everyday
Fits when preference, not deep love, is what the sentence means
Careful Being chosen most often is weaker than occupying a lasting emotional place.
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warm
Fits when affection is intense and openly enthusiastic
Careful Adored may sound exuberant where beloved calls for dignified remembrance.
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warm
Fits when careful protection and personal value are prominent
Careful Cherished can describe a private possession without suggesting broad affection.
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warm
Fits when vulnerability or rarity heightens the affection
Careful Applied to an adult colleague, precious can sound patronizing or ironic.
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warm
Fits when someone or something is valued as irreplaceable
Careful A popular public figure may be beloved without being personally treasured by each admirer.
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professional
Fits when respect for standing or achievement is central
Careful Esteem is professional regard, not evidence that someone is loved.
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formal
revered
Fits when admiration includes profound respect
Careful Revered can lack the warmth and familiarity carried by beloved.
Opposites 3
- hated
- unloved
- despised
Common phrases 3
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beloved friend
Their beloved friend received a book filled with handwritten memories.
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beloved teacher
A beloved teacher can shape a school long after retirement.
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much-beloved
The much-beloved café reopened after neighbors helped with repairs.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Commander Keane, Australian accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated