affection

• "he had trouble expressing the affection he felt"
• "the child won everyone's heart"
• "the warmness of his welcome made us feel right at home"

Synonyms

• affectionatenessa positive feeling of liking; a quality proceeding from feelings of affection or love
• fondnessa predisposition to like something; a positive feeling of liking; a quality proceeding from feelings of affection or love
• tendernessa tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling ; a pain that is felt (as when the area is touched); warm compassionate feelings ; a positive feeling of liking; a feeling of concern for the welfare of someone (especially someone defenseless)
• heartthe locus of feelings and intuitions; the hollow muscular organ located behind the sternum and between the lungs; the courage to carry on; an area that is approximately central within some larger region; the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; an inclination or tendency of a certain kind; a plane figure with rounded sides curving inward at the top and intersecting at the bottom; a firm rather dry variety meat (usually beef or veal); a positive feeling of liking; a playing card in the major suit that has one or more red hearts on it
• warmnessa positive feeling of liking; the quality of having a moderate degree of heat
• warmheartednessa warmhearted feeling ; a positive feeling of liking
• philiaa positive feeling of liking