Affection
/əˈfɛkʃən/
nounB1
Definition
Affection means a warm and gentle feeling you have for someone or something you like or love. It often shows in small kind actions, hugs, or nice words. People feel affection for family, friends, pets, or even favorite things.
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⚡ See It in Action
A gentle feeling of love or liking for someone or something
- •She showed affection by hugging her grandmother.
- •Dogs often show affection by licking their owners.
- •Children need affection to feel safe and happy.
A feeling or emotion toward a person, animal, or thing
- •He has great affection for his old school.
- •The artist's affection for nature appears in her paintings.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "affection" like "like," but stronger and warmer—more about feelings and care
- ✓Picture a mother gently holding her baby or a person petting their dog softly
- ✓It's the feeling when you want to help or be close to someone you care about
- ✓Sounds like "uh-FECK-shun" → imagine a soft "hug" sound mixed with "action," because affection is love in action
- ✓Think of stories where characters show affection by giving gifts or kind words to friends
- ✓NOT like "love" always (love can be very strong or romantic), affection is often softer and more general care
- ✓NOT like "friendship" (a relationship), affection is the feeling inside that relationship
- ✓NOT like "like" (can be casual), affection is deeper and warmer
- ✓NOT like "hate" (strong dislike), affection is the opposite, warm and positive feeling
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Fondness: a liking or gentle love (Use when the feeling is warm but less deep or serious)
- •Care: feeling concern or kindness (Use when focusing on attention and kindness rather than emotion)
- •Attachment: a strong feeling of connection (Use when the feeling is about being emotionally connected, often over time)
- •Tenderness: gentle and kind feeling (Use when emphasizing softness and kindness in feelings)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "af-" (variant of "ad-" meaning "to, toward") + "fect" (from Latin "facere," meaning "to do or make") + "-ion" (noun suffix meaning "the act or state of")
- •Etymology: From Latin "affectio," meaning a state of mind or feeling toward someone
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 14th century to mean feelings or emotions, especially of love or kindness
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe warm feelings of care or love shown by actions or words
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How do you show affection to your family or friends in your culture?
•Can affection be shown without words? What are some ways to do that?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.People often show affection by ___ hugs or kind words to someone they care about.
2.Affection usually grows when you spend ___ time with someone or something.
3.Unlike "love," affection can be ___ and gentle but still very important.
4.When a pet shows affection, it might ___ its tail or lick its owner.
5.Affection is different from friendship because friendship is a relationship, but affection is the ___ inside that relationship.
6.Parents give their children affection to help them feel ___ and safe.
7.Sometimes people use gifts or small actions to ___ their affection without saying anything.