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Like vs Love vs Enjoy vs Relish vs Fancy vs Dote

Likeloveenjoyrelishfancydote are comparable when meaning to be so attracted to a person or thing as to regard him or it with favor.

Like (opposed to dislike ),the most general and, especially when unqualified, the most colorless of these words, means merely to regard with favor or without the slightest aversion. Therefore, it is chiefly used in reference to persons or things that are pleasing but evoke no great warmth of feeling or urgency of desire.

Love (opposed to hate ) implies not only strong liking but ardent attachment and is therefore used with reference to persons or things that arouse the deeper or higher emotions; thus, one likes his neighbors but loves his family; one likes the open country but loves his native land. Love also is often used with reference to trivial objects as an informal intensive of like.

Enjoy implies a liking or loving that awakens deep satisfaction and keen delight which may be sensuous or intellectual or often a mingling of the two.

Relish implies a liking, or sometimes an enjoyment, that arises because the thing relished meets one’s approval, satisfies one’s taste, or gives one peculiar gratification.

Fancy (see also THINK 1 ) implies a liking for something that corresponds to one’s imaginative conception or sometimes one’s ideal of what it should be.

Dote, with on or upon, implies an infatuation or a foolish excessive liking or fondness. Like love it may be used as an informal intensive of like.