Meaning & use
beloved
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Loved very much and treated with great affection by a person or a group.
Grammar: Before a noun: a beloved teacher; after a verb it is often followed by by or to: beloved by all.
Patterns
- beloved by someone
- beloved of someone
The beloved teacher retired after thirty years.
He lost his beloved dog last spring.
The park is beloved by local families.
nouncountableliteraryold-fashioned
A person who is deeply loved by someone, especially a partner.
Grammar: Often with a possessive: her beloved. It sounds old-fashioned or poetic.
Patterns
- my beloved
- her beloved
She wrote a letter to her beloved every night.
My beloved waits for me at home.
The poet addressed his beloved in every verse.
Common combinations
- beloved by millions
- The author is beloved by millions of readers.
- beloved husband
- The gravestone read, Beloved husband and father.
- beloved character
- The bear is a beloved character in children's books.
- dearly beloved
- Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today.
- beloved family pet
- The beloved family pet died quietly.
- much beloved
- He was a much beloved coach.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cherished
- Cherished stresses being treasured and cared for, often an object or memory, while beloved is for people or loved things.
- adored
- Adored is warmer and more intense, with a hint of worship.
- darling
- Darling is more informal and often used when talking to the person.
- treasured
- Treasured suggests great value more than affection.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: beloved or beloved? beloved or beloved/loved?
beloved vs beloved
As an adjective it has three syllables /bɪˈlʌvɪd/ in some poetic uses, but normally two: /bɪˈlʌvd/ before a name.
beloved vs beloved/loved
Loved is the plain past participle; beloved is a stronger adjective for something much cherished.
Practice
The author is ___ by readers all over the world.
Choose one answer.
Beloved by someone means dearly loved. Believed has a different meaning, and the other forms are not standard.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “beloved”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.