5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lief  \Lief\  (l[=e]f),  n. 
  Same  as  {Lif}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lief  \Lief\  (l[=e]f),  a.  [Written  also  {lieve}.]  [OE.  leef,  lef, 
  leof,  AS  le['o]f;  akin  to  OS  liof,  OFries  liaf,  D.  lief, 
  G.  lieb,  OHG.  liob,  Icel.  lj[=u]fr,  Sw  ljuf  Goth.  liubs 
  and  E.  love.  [root]124.  See  {Love},  and  cf  {Believe}, 
  {Leave},  n.,  {Furlough},  {Libidinous}.] 
  1.  Dear;  beloved.  [Obs.,  except  in  poetry.]  ``My  liefe 
  mother.''  --Chaucer.  ``My  liefest  liege.''  --Shak. 
 
  As  thou  art  lief  and  dear.  --Tennyson. 
 
  2. 
 
  Note:  (Used  with  a  form  of  the  verb  to  be  and  the  dative  of 
  the  personal  pronoun.)  Pleasing;  agreeable;  acceptable; 
  preferable.  [Obs.]  See  {Lief},  adv.,  and  Had  as  lief, 
  under  {Had}. 
 
  Full  lief  me  were  this  counsel  for  to  hide. 
  --Chaucer. 
 
  Death  me  liefer  were  than  such  despite. 
  --Spenser. 
 
  3.  Willing;  disposed.  [Obs.] 
 
  I  am  not  lief  to  gab.  --Chaucer. 
 
  He  up  arose,  however  lief  or  loth.  --Spenser. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lief  \Lief\,  n. 
  A  dear  one  a  sweetheart.  [Obs.]  --Chaucer. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lief  \Lief\,  adv 
  Gladly;  willingly;  freely;  --  now  used  only  in  the  phrases, 
  had  as  lief,  and  would  as  lief;  as  I  had  or  would  as  lief 
  go  as  not 
 
  All  women  liefest  would  Be  sovereign  of  man's  love. 
  --Gower. 
 
  I  had  as  lief  the  town  crier  spoke  my  lines.  --Shak. 
 
  Far  liefer  by  his  dear  hand  had  I  die.  --Tennyson. 
 
  Note:  The  comparative  liefer  with  had  or  would  and  followed 
  by  the  infinitive,  either  with  or  without  the  sign  to 
  signifies  prefer,  choose  as  preferable,  would  or  had 
  rather.  In  the  16th  century  rather  was  substituted  for 
  liefer  in  such  constructions  in  literary  English,  and 
  has  continued  to  be  generally  so  used  See  {Had  as 
  lief},  {Had  rather},  etc.,  under  {Had}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  lief 
  adj  :  (`lief'  is  archaic)  very  willing;  "was  lief  to  go";  "glad  to 
  help"  [syn:  {glad},  {lief(p)}] 
  adv  :  in  a  willing  manner;  "this  was  gladly  agreed  to"  [syn:  {gladly}] 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words