Love vs. Adore — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 21, 2023
Love is a deep emotional attachment or affection towards someone or something. Adore typically implies an intense admiration or worship. While love suggests a profound bond, adore often signifies high regard or veneration.
Difference Between Love and Adore
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Love is a multifaceted emotion that encompasses a wide range of feelings, from familial love to romantic love to platonic love. It can be unconditional, such as the love a parent has for a child, or conditional, as sometimes seen in romantic relationships. This emotion has been central to literature, philosophy, and culture for centuries, reflecting its universal importance in human relationships.
Adore, on the other hand, often carries a sense of deep admiration, worship, or profound affection. It is an emotion that can be directed towards a deity, a celebrity, or even a cherished object. When one says they "adore" something, it often implies a sense of reverence or idolization, sometimes elevating the object of their affection to a pedestal.
While there's overlap between loving and adoring someone, the nuance lies in intensity and context. For instance, one might love their friend for their loyalty and support but adore their favorite musician for their unparalleled skills and charisma. The distinction is often subtle, with "adore" generally denoting a more elevated or intense form of affection.
In relationships, saying "I love you" is a declaration of deep emotional commitment. In contrast, saying "I adore you" might convey an emphasis on admiration or charm, suggesting not just a bond but a sense of wonder about the other person. Both words, while intertwined, highlight different aspects and depths of affection.
Comparison Chart
Nature
Deep emotional attachment
Intense admiration or worship
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Context
Wider range (familial, romantic)
Often elevated affection
Intensity
Can be profound or casual
Typically more intense
Examples of Usage
Parent-child, romantic partners
Deities, celebrities, idols
Associated Actions
Commitment, caring, sacrifice
Reverence, idolization, worship
Compare with Definitions
Love
A feeling of devotion or adoration toward God or a god.
Adore
To regard with deep, often rapturous affection.
She adores her grandfather.
Love
A deep affection towards someone or something.
Her love for her children is boundless.
Adore
To worship or venerate.
Many adore the deity at the temple.
Love
Warm-hearted concern for another.
The community showed their love by helping those in need.
Adore
To take great pleasure in; relish.
He adores jazz music.
Love
Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love of a mother differs from the love of a spouse, which differs from the love of food.
Adore
An exclamation of fondness or enthusiasm.
I simply adore that dress!
Love
A strong feeling of affection and concern toward another person, as that arising from kinship or close friendship.
Adore
Love and respect (someone) deeply
He adored his mother
Love
A strong feeling of affection and concern for another person accompanied by sexual attraction.
Adore
Worship; venerate
He adored the Sacred Host
Love
A feeling of kindness or concern by God or a god toward humans.
Adore
To worship as God or a god.
Love
Often Love(Christianity) Charity.
Adore
To love (someone) deeply and devotedly.
Love
Sexual desire or activity
The pleasures of love.
A night of love.
Adore
To worship.
Love
An instance of being in love
Teenage loves can be as fleeting as they are intense.
Adore
To love with one's entire heart and soul; regard with deep respect and affection.
It is obvious to everyone that Gerry adores Heather.
Love
A person for whom one has strong feelings of affection
She met her new love at the restaurant.
Adore
To be very fond of.
Love
Used as a term of endearment for such a person.
Adore
(obsolete) To adorn.
Love
An intense emotional attachment to something, as to a pet or treasured object.
Adore
To worship with profound reverence; to pay divine honors to; to honor as a deity or as divine.
Bishops and priests, . . . bearing the host, which he [James II.] publicly adored.
Love
An expression of one's affection
Send him my love.
Adore
To love in the highest degree; to regard with the utmost esteem and affection; to idolize.
The great mass of the population abhorred Popery and adored Monmouth.
Love
A strong predilection or enthusiasm
A love of language.
Love for the game of golf.
Adore
To adorn.
Congealed little drops which do the morn adore.
Love
The object of such an enthusiasm
The outdoors is her greatest love.
Adore
Love intensely;
He just adored his wife
Love
Love(Mythology) Eros or Cupid.
Adore
To idolize or admire intensely.
Fans adore the actress for her talent.
Love
(Sports) A score of zero, as in tennis.
Love
To feel love for (a person)
We love our parents. I love my friends.
Love
To feel sexual love for (a person).
Love
To feel devotion to (God or a god).
Love
To feel or show kindness or concern to (a person). Used of God or a god.
Love
To have an intense emotional attachment to
Loves his house.
Love
To embrace or caress
They were loving each other on the sofa.
Love
To have sexual intercourse with.
Love
To like or desire enthusiastically
Loves swimming.
Love
To thrive on; need
The cactus loves hot, dry air.
Love
To feel love or sexual love for another.
Love
(uncountable) A deep caring for the existence of another.
Love
(uncountable) Strong affection.
Love
A profound and caring affection towards someone.
A mother’s love is not easily shaken.
My husband’s love is the most important thing in my life.
Love
Affectionate, benevolent concern or care for other people or beings, and for their well-being.
Love
A feeling of intense attraction towards someone.
I have never been in love as much as I have with you.
Love
A deep or abiding liking for something; an enthusiasm for something.
My love of cricket knows no bounds.
Love
(countable) A person who is the object of romantic feelings; a darling, a sweetheart, a beloved.
Love
A term of friendly address, regardless of feelings.
Hello love, how can I help you?
Love
A thing, activity, etc. which is the object of one's deep liking or enthusiasm.
Love
(euphemistic) Sexual desire; attachment based on sexual attraction.
Love
(euphemistic) Sexual activity.
Love
An instance or episode of being in love; a love affair.
Love
Used as the closing, before the signature, of a letter, especially between good friends or family members, or by the young.
Love
(obsolete) A thin silk material.
Love
A climbing plant, Clematis vitalba.
Love
Zero, no score.
So that’s fifteen-love to Kournikova.
Love
Nothing; no recompense.
Love
To have a strong affection for (someone or something).
I love my spouse.
I love you!
I love that song!
Love
(transitive) To need, thrive on.
Mold loves moist, dark places.
Love
(transitive) To be strongly inclined towards something; an emphatic form of like.
I love walking barefoot on wet grass;
I'd love to join the team;
I love what you've done with your hair
Love
To care deeply about, to be dedicated to (someone or something).
Love
(transitive) To derive delight from a fact or situation.
I love the fact that the coffee shop now offers fat-free chai latte.
Love
To have sex with (perhaps from make love).
I wish I could love her all night long.
Love
A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preëminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters.
Of all the dearest bonds we proveThou countest sons' and mothers' loveMost sacred, most Thine own.
Love
Especially, devoted attachment to, or tender or passionate affection for, one of the opposite sex.
He on his sideLeaning half-raised, with looks of cordial loveHung over her enamored.
Love
Courtship; - chiefly in the phrase to make love, i. e., to court, to woo, to solicit union in marriage.
Demetrius . . . Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,And won her soul.
Love
Affection; kind feeling; friendship; strong liking or desire; fondness; good will; - opposed to hate; often with of and an object.
Love, and health to all.
Smit with the love of sacred song.
The love of science faintly warmed his breast.
Love
Due gratitude and reverence to God.
Keep yourselves in the love of God.
Love
The object of affection; - often employed in endearing address; as, he held his love in his arms; his greatest love was reading.
Open the temple gates unto my love.
Love
Cupid, the god of love; sometimes, Venus.
Such was his form as painters, when they showTheir utmost art, on naked Lores bestow.
Therefore do nimble-pinioned doves draw Love.
Love
A thin silk stuff.
Love
A climbing species of Clematis (Clematis Vitalba).
Love
Nothing; no points scored on one side; - used in counting score at tennis, etc.
He won the match by three sets to love.
Love
Sexual intercourse; - a euphemism.
A little western flower,Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound;And maidens call it love-in-idleness.
Love
To have a feeling of love for; to regard with affection or good will; as, to love one's children and friends; to love one's country; to love one's God.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self.
Love
To regard with passionate and devoted affection, as that of one sex for the other.
Love
To take delight or pleasure in; to have a strong liking or desire for, or interest in; to be pleased with; to like; as, to love books; to love adventures.
Wit, eloquence, and poetry.Arts which I loved.
Love
To have the feeling of love; to be in love.
Love
A strong positive emotion of regard and affection;
His love for his work
Children need a lot of love
Love
Any object of warm affection or devotion;
The theater was her first love
He has a passion for cock fighting
Love
A beloved person; used as terms of endearment
Love
A deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction;
Their love left them indifferent to their surroundings
She was his first love
Love
A score of zero in tennis or squash;
It was 40 love
Love
Sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people;
His lovemaking disgusted her
He hadn't had any love in months
He has a very complicated love life
Love
Have a great affection or liking for;
I love French food
She loves her boss and works hard for him
Love
Get pleasure from;
I love cooking
Love
Be enamored or in love with;
She loves her husband deeply
Love
Have sexual intercourse with;
This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm
Adam knew Eve
Were you ever intimate with this man?
Love
A romantic or sexual attachment.
They found love at a young age.
Love
A strong liking or passion for a hobby or activity.
His love for painting is evident in his work.
Love
An expression of approval or fondness.
I'd love a slice of that pie!
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to adore?
To adore is to have an intense admiration, worship, or deep affection for someone or something.
Is love only limited to romantic relationships?
No, love can span familial, platonic, and romantic relationships, among others.
Can love and adore be used interchangeably?
While related, they're not always interchangeable; "adore" often implies a higher degree of admiration.
Can you adore without loving?
It's possible to adore or highly admire someone without having a deep emotional bond of love.
Is love always mutual?
No, love can be one-sided or unrequited.
Is adore a stronger word than love?
"Adore" often suggests a more intense or elevated form of affection than "love."
Which is more personal, love or adore?
Love is often more personal as it denotes an emotional connection, while adore emphasizes admiration.
Is adoration always positive?
Generally, but excessive adoration can lead to unhealthy idolization.
Is it common to say "I adore you" in relationships?
It's less common than "I love you" but is used to emphasize admiration and charm.
Can adore be used for objects?
Yes, one can adore an object, like a cherished book or a favorite dish.
Can love be conditional?
Love can be either conditional or unconditional depending on the relationship and context.
What is love?
Love is a deep emotional attachment or affection towards someone or something.
Can you love without adoring?
Yes, you can love someone without necessarily adoring every aspect of them.
Is love a choice or a feeling?
Love can start as a feeling but maintaining it often involves a conscious choice.
Can adore be conditional?
Adoration usually implies a higher degree of fondness that's often less conditional.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
