Loveless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Lacking any form of emotional attachment, tenderness, or affection, this state signifies an absence of warmth and goodwill in interpersonal relationships
2. Having no feeling of love or deep care towards others
3. Characterized by a complete absence of affectionate or tender emotions

Etymology: "Loveless" is about as plain as English compounds get: it joins "love" with the suffix "-less," which means "without," so the word simply means "without love." The suffix is the older and more productive part here. "-less" comes from Old English "-lēas," and it was attached freely to nouns for centuries, producing words like "careless," "homeless," and "endless." The word itself came into English in Middle English as "loveles," so it has been in use for several centuries. Its meaning has stayed close to the literal sense: a loveless marriage or a loveless household is one where the parts of the relationship lack affection, rather than one where love has been replaced by something specific like hatred or indifference.

Synonyms: unaffectionate, cold

Antonyms: loving, affectionate