LIEF • DICCIONARIO INGLES.COM • Definition of Lief

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/lif/ Listen

noun

Lief n. Same as Lif.

Lief n. A dear one; a sweetheart. (Obs.)

adjective

Lief adj. (Written also lieve)

Dear; beloved. (Obs., except in poetry.) "My liefe mother." "My liefest liege." "As thou art lief and dear."

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." "Death me liefer were than such despite."

Willing; disposed. (Obs.) "I am not lief to gab." "He up arose, however lief or loth."

adverb

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." "I had as lief the town crier spoke my lines." "Far liefer by his dear hand had I die." 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.

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Etymology of 'Lief'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Lief" Quotes from Famous Books

... up his fists and edged up to Mr. Hardhand, fully determined to execute his threat if he repeated the offensive expression, or any other of a similar import. He was roused to the highest pitch of anger, and felt as though he had just as lief die as live in defence of his mother's ...

— Now or Never - The Adventures of Bobby Bright • Oliver Optic

... has the very hardest heart on earth; I had as lief turn to the Friar's school And knock for ...

— The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth - Volume 1 of 8 • Edited by William Knight

... It's no trouble to me to sing. I'd just as lief do it as not; only it seems foolish for me to sing when there are so many older people with ...

— Patty in Paris • Carolyn Wells

... answer, as beseem'd Thy fealty, nor like a noble knight: For surer sign had follow'd, either hand, Or voice, or else a motion of the mere. This is a shameful thing for men to lie. Yet now, I charge thee, quickly go again, As thou art lief and dear, and do the thing I bade thee, watch, and lightly bring ...

— Famous Tales of Fact and Fancy - Myths and Legends of the Nations of the World Retold for Boys and Girls • Various

... lief tell you what, Norton; only it is something you don't care about, and it would give you ...

— Trading • Susan Warner

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