Meanings
comparative better-loved · comparative more well-loved · superlative best-loved · superlative most well-loved · alternative well loved
- Loved by many people; popular.
Helped by the charm of their field and by WGN’s national broadcast reach, the Cubs have always been the better-loved of Chicago’s two teams.
2014 April 24, Tom Giratikanon, Josh Katz, David Leonhardt, Kevin Quealy, “Up Close on Baseball’s Borders”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Apr 20142 more examples
Afterward, however, he turned to more serious roles, such as “Emperor Jones” and “Othello,” and ultimately became one of the better-loved figures of the German-speaking stage.
1943 May 2, Theodore Strauss, “Oscar Homolka Studies the Menu: A Noted Austrian Actor Talks of Letters, Art, Light Wines and Duck”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLCLarkin's reputation at his death as the best-loved "serious" English poet of his generation rested almost entirely on three collections published after 1955: The Less Deceived, The Whitsun Weddings and High Windows.
2008 July 22, “Philip Larkin”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Dec 2013 - euphemisticbusinessHighly used or having a worn condition; showing significant signs of wear and tear, age, or previous frequent use.
Origin
Modelled after well-liked.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
well-loved. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-loved
“well-loved.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-loved. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “well-loved,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-loved.
Source: well-loved on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.