lover
– B2 (intermediate) –
Practice Your Listening Comprehension
Practice Your Reading Comprehension
In Canadian English, this word typically means:
(euphemism) the person you have sex with*
(informal) a person with a strong interest in something
*NOTE
While it is probable that adults in romantic relationships have sex with each other, “lover” is not an appropriate word in most contexts in Canada. It is often considered unnecessary or crude to emphasize that a couple has sex, so “lover” is rarely used. Instead, words like “partner”/”significant other,” “boyfriend”/”girlfriend,” “fiancé(e),” “husband”/”wife,” “paramour”/”mistress,” etc. are more commonly used.
EXAMPLES
(definition 1)
YOUNGER SIBLING: “Jake has a girlfriend! Jake has a girlfriend!”
JAKE: “Shut up! Mom and Dad are gonna hear you!”
YOUNGER SIBLING: “Ooooh! I bet you’re lovers!”
JAKE: “Ew! Gross! Don’t talk like that!”
(definition 1)
In a situation where you are introducing your significant other to someone.
“Hey Sam. I’d like you to meet my lover, Sara.”
“Uh… Okay. “Wife” would have been sufficient, but nice to meet you, Sara. Thanks for the unnecessary information…”
(definition 2)
“She is a huge movie lover! Every year she watches all the Oscar Awards nominees so that she can make educated guesses as to who will win in each category. I think she said that she watched over 200 movies last year.”
(definition 2)
“He is a true lover of the arts. Ask him any question about a painter, sculptor, musician, or actor, and he will be able to answer you correctly.”
Have you ever heard or read the word, “lover,” somewhere? What context did you hear it in? Would you say that you are a lover of something? What would that be? Practice using this word by sharing your answers with me in the comments below.
