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Synonym Chooser

How is the word affection distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of affection are emotion, feeling, passion, and sentiment. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How are the words emotion and feeling related as synonyms of affection?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When is feeling a more appropriate choice than affection?

Although the words feeling and affection have much in common, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

In what contexts can passion take the place of affection?

The meanings of passion and affection largely overlap; however, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

When would sentiment be a good substitute for affection?

In some situations, the words sentiment and affection are roughly equivalent. However, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of affection How much of that affection was genuine and how much was gameplay? Dalton Ross, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025 This unique tail movement from the Bernedoodle puppy could simply be an exaggerated way of showing excitement and affection. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025 Musk, for his part, has repeatedly declared his affection for Trump. Brett Samuels, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025 Acts of kindness, praise or physical affection are strategically given or withheld to reinforce control. Mark Travers, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for affection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affection
Noun
  • Will Joe finally find that perfect love he’s been searching for, or will his killer instincts ruin everything yet again?
    Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Michael Symon is opening up about his and his wife’s love story.
    Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Five to 10 percent of people with ALS have a family member with the disease.
    Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • This ultimately translates into more people that will get infected with these diseases, with the potential of spreading it to all Americans, including White Americans in urban neighborhoods.
    Omer Awan, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The combination of IoT and AI enables connected devices to collect, analyze and act on data in real-time.
    Rahul Saluja, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Just in time for Christmas, certain members of Congress are hard at work in their policy shops, fashioning a massive lump of cybersecurity coal with which to gift American users of electronic devices.
    David Williams, National Review, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • To pick some specific characteristics, no two athletes are going to have identical muscle constructions, bone densities, leg lengths, centres of gravity, tendon strength, foot-size or foot arches.
    Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Each impart different characteristics due to their distinct wood grain and chemical compositions.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Toni Kroos’ devotion to his Adidas Adipure 11s is a legend.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
  • His mother’s devotion to Joyner’s show, which ended in 2019, made an impression on Charlamagne.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Samuel aspires to become an infectious disease physician-scientist and minority health advocate, researching illnesses that disproportionately affect Native Americans and other minority groups.
    Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, MD, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Doctors have said his voice has been weakened by his illness.
    Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • To be sure, grounding our understanding of racial equality in reality will not be enough, but there are some inclinations of hope.
    Michael W. Kraus, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Jodie Turner-Smith proves again that her style inclinations are always on point.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • While the free shipping perks of Amazon Prime remain the biggest reason for why most people subscribe, the quality of content on Prime Video had increasingly become a major driver.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The sound quality is equally impressive, generating immersive 3D sound that follows movement on screen and automatically adjusts to your listening space.
    Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Affection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affection. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

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