Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Lovely; winsome.
  • Loving; manifesting love or affection.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Lovely.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Worthy of love; having qualities that inspire love; lovable.
  • adjective Lovable on account of beauty; lovely; beautiful; winsome.
  • adjective Loving; manifesting love or affection; affectionate; friendly.
  • adjective Amorous.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having or displaying warmth or affection

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English lufsom, lufsum, from Old English lufsum ("loving, lovable, pleasant"), equivalent to love +‎ -some.

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Examples

  • The latter was particularly meaningful: While introducing it, Mr. Heath pondered Strayhorn's clever linguistics in devising the word "Lovesome," but then, perversely, his treatment of the flower was anything but lovesome.

    Birthday Wishes, Halloween Dreams Will Friedwald 2011

  • Say, there was one real fine man theah, big an 'han'some, kinda like you, but not neah as lovesome.

    THE NUMBERS 2010

  • Genuinely constructive criticism is a lovesome thing, God wot.

    Constructive criticism and a good weekend Imogen 2009

  • Genuinely constructive criticism is a lovesome thing, God wot.

    Archive 2009-09-01 Imogen 2009

  • Then they displayed her in the fourth bridal dress and she came forward shining like the rising sun and swaying to and fro with lovesome grace and supple ease like a gazelle-fawn.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • His Highness the King loveth thee and hath a daughter, a winsome lady and a lovesome, to whom he is minded to marry thee.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • Thanks for sharing your pastry recipe as a perfect pastry is a lovesome thing!

    bourbon peach hand pies | smitten kitchen 2008

  • House under the Wood (as very seldom betid), and the witch-wife was speaking to her in friendly fashion (as for her) and blaming her for fleeing away, and was taunting her with the failure of her love, and therewith telling her how fair a man and lovesome was the

    The Water of the Wondrous Isles 2007

  • The old carle laughed outright now, and said: How so, dear child? because ladies so sweet and lovesome as thou be sent by love, and love rendeth apart that which was joined together.

    The Water of the Wondrous Isles 2007

  • Fairer and rounder shall be thine arms and thy shoulders when thou hast seen five more summers, yet scarce more lovesome, so strong and fine as now they are.

    The Water of the Wondrous Isles 2007

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