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adore something
/əˈdɔːr ˈsʌmθɪŋ/◆phrasal verb
love deeply
I absolutely adore Italian food.
This means the speaker loves Italian food very much.
informal
To love or like something very much.
She adores her new puppy.
She loves her new puppy very much.
He adores listening to jazz music.
He really enjoys listening to jazz music.
More intense than 'like' but less formal than 'love'. Often used in casual speech.
Collocations
adore doing somethinglove doing something very muchabsolutely adoreused for emphasis in informal speech
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common mistake: 'Adore' vs 'Adore to do'
'Adore' is not followed by 'to' + verb. Use 'adore doing' or 'adore + noun'. Correct: 'I adore reading.' Incorrect: 'I adore to read.'
Gold Rule
Intensity rule
Adore expresses stronger emotion than 'like' but is less formal than 'love'. It's typically used for things you feel passionate about.
Word Origin
From Latin 'adorare' (to worship, pray to), via Old French 'adorer' (to worship, love dearly). The sense of 'love deeply' developed in Middle English.
Usage Notes
Used for people, activities, or things. Rarely used for abstract concepts. More common in speech than formal writing.
Word Breakdown
adore
to love deeply
rootsomething
object of affection
objectEnglish Dictionary