lief

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/liːf/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(lēf )


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
lief  (lēf ),USA pronunciation adv. 
  1. gladly;
    willingly:I would as lief go south as not.

adj. Archaic. 
  1. willing;
    desirous.
  2. dear;
    beloved;
    treasured.
  • bef. 900; Middle English leef, Old English lēof; cognate with Dutch lief, German lieb, Old Norse ljufr, Gothic liufs; akin to love
lief′ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
lief / liːf/
  1. gladly; willingly: I'd as lief go today as tomorrow
  1. ready; glad
  2. dear; beloved
Etymology: Old English leof; related to lufu love
'lief' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
leave - leman - lieve - livelong - love

Forum discussions with the word(s) "lief" in the title:


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