amorous

A1M3O1R1O1U1S1
/ˈæ.mə.ɹəs//ˈæm.ɹəs/US/ˈæ.mɚ.əs/

adjective

Inclined or having a propensity to love, or to sexual enjoyment.

“an amorous disposition”

Less commonScrabble 9

Meanings

adjectiveamorous (comparative more amorous, superlative most amorous)

comparative more amorous · superlative most amorous

  1. Inclined or having a propensity to love, or to sexual enjoyment.

    an amorous disposition

    2 more examples

    We were both feeling amorous so the inevitable happened.

    Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.

    1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Afterglow”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 168

    Synonyms: loving, fond, affectionate

  2. Indicating love or sexual desire.

    She kept making these amorous suggestions.

    4 more examples

    UUho when he ſhal embrace you in his arms UUil tell how many thouſand men he ſlew. And when you looke for amorous diſcourſe, Will rattle foorth his facts of war and blood: […]

    c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii

    Long were to tell the amorous aſſayes, And gentle pangues, with which he maked meeke The mightie Mars, to learne his wanton playes:

    1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 572

    There was no tune to it, only amorous gruntings like those of some old satyr who had furnished music for Circe's revels.

    1929, Robert Dean Frisbee, The Book of Puka-Puka, Eland, published 2019, page 218

    When held in the hand, the lizard produces an amorous stimulus.

    1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 139
  3. Of or relating to, or produced by, love.

    She read me an amorous poem.

  4. datedAffected with love; in love; enamored.

    He had been amorous of her since schooldays.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveInclined or having a propensity to love, or to sexual enjoyment.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveinclined toward or displaying love

adjectiveexpressive of or exciting sexual love or romance

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinamor“love”
  2. Vulgar Latin*amōrōsus
  3. Old Frenchamoros
  4. Middle Englishamorous
  5. Englishamorous

From Middle English amorous, amerous (14th century), from Old French amoros, amoreus, from Vulgar Latin *amōrōsus, from Latin amor (“love”), related to amāre (“to love”). Compare French amoureux (“in love”). Doublet of amoroso and amoureux.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek φίλερως
  • φίλερως (phílerōs)inclined to love
Arabic عِشْقِيّ, غَرَامِيّ
  • عِشْقِيّ (ʕišqiyy)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • غَرَامِيّ (ḡarāmiyy)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • عَاشِق (ʕāšiq)affected with love
Bulgarian влюбчи́в, любо́вен
  • влюбчи́в (vljubčív)inclined to love
  • любо́вен (ljubóven)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • влю́бен (vljúben)affected with love
Catalan amorós, amorós
  • amorósinclined to love
  • amorósindicating love or sexual desire
  • amorósof or relating to, or produced by, love
Chinese Mandarin 戀愛的 /恋爱的
  • 戀愛的 /恋爱的 (liàn'ài de)of or relating to, or produced by, love
Czech milostný, zamilovaný
  • milostnýof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • zamilovanýaffected with love
Dutch amoureus, amoureuze
  • amoureusinclined to love
  • amoureuzeof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • verliefdaffected with love
Esperanto amema, amorema
  • amemainclined to love
  • amoremainclined to love
Finnish lemmenkipeä, lemmekäs
  • lemmenkipeäinclined to love
  • lemmekäsindicating love or sexual desire
  • rakkaus-of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • rakastunutaffected with love
French amoureux, amoureux
  • amoureuxinclined to love
  • amoureuxindicating love or sexual desire
  • amoureuxof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • amoureuxaffected with love
German amourös, verliebt
  • amourösinclined to love
  • verliebtinclined to love
  • anzüglichindicating love or sexual desire
  • erotischindicating love or sexual desire
  • amourösindicating love or sexual desire
  • verliebtindicating love or sexual desire
  • Liebes-of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • amourösof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • liebschaftlichof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • verliebtaffected with love
Greek ερωτόληπτος, αγαπησιάρης
  • ερωτόληπτος (erotóliptos)inclined to love
  • αγαπησιάρης (agapisiáris)inclined to love
  • ερωτικός (erotikós)indicating love or sexual desire
  • ερωτικός (erotikós)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • ερωτευμένος (erotevménos)affected with love
Hindi इश्क़िया, प्रणयशील
  • इश्क़िया (iśqiyā)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • प्रणयशील (praṇayśīl)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • कामुक (kāmuk)of or relating to, or produced by, love
Italian amoroso
  • amorosoinclined to love
Japanese 恋愛の
  • 恋愛の (ren'ai no)of or relating to, or produced by, love
Korean 사랑의
  • 사랑의 (sarang'ui)of or relating to, or produced by, love
Persian عشقی
  • عشقی ('ešqi)of or relating to, or produced by, love
Polish kochliwy, miłosny
  • kochliwyinclined to love
  • miłosnyof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • zakochanyaffected with love
Portuguese amoroso, amoroso
  • amorosoinclined to love
  • amorosoindicating love or sexual desire
  • amorosoof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • enamoradoaffected with love
Romanian amoros, amoros
  • amorosinclined to love
  • amorosof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • de amorof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • amorezataffected with love
  • înamorataffected with love
Russian влю́бчивый, любо́вный
  • влю́бчивый (vljúbčivyj)inclined to love
  • любо́вный (ljubóvnyj)indicating love or sexual desire
  • аму́рный (amúrnyj)indicating love or sexual desire
  • любо́вный (ljubóvnyj)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • влюблённый (vljubljónnyj)affected with love
  • очаро́ванный (očaróvannyj)affected with love
  • без ума́ (bez umá)affected with love
  • в восто́рге (v vostórge)affected with love
Slovak milostný, zamilovaný
  • milostnýof or relating to, or produced by, love
  • zamilovanýaffected with love
Spanish concupisciente, concupisciente
  • concupiscienteinclined to love
  • concupiscienteindicating love or sexual desire
  • enamoradoaffected with love
Turkish aşık
  • aşıkinclined to love
Ukrainian залю́бливий, влю́бливий
  • залю́бливий (zaljúblyvyj)inclined to love
  • влю́бливий (vljúblyvyj)inclined to love
  • любо́вний (ljubóvnyj)indicating love or sexual desire
  • любо́вний (ljubóvnyj)of or relating to, or produced by, love
  • зако́ханий (zakóxanyj)affected with love
  • залю́блений (zaljúblenyj)affected with love
Urdu عشقیہ
  • عشقیہ (iśqiyā)of or relating to, or produced by, love

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

amorous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amorous

MLA

“amorous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amorous. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “amorous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amorous.

Source: amorous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.