lief

a. [ Written also lieve. ] [ OE. leef, lef, leof, AS. leíf; akin to OS. liof, OFries. liaf, D. lief, G. lieb, OHG. liob, Icel. lj&unr_;fr, Sw. ljuf, Goth. liubs, and E. love. √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. [ 1913 Webster ]

As thou art lief and dear. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Full lief me were this counsel for to hide. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Death me liefer were than such despite. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Willing; disposed. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I am not lief to gab. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

He up arose, however lief or loth. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A dear one; a sweetheart. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

All women liefest would
Be sovereign of man's love. Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had as lief the town crier spoke my lines. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Far liefer by his dear hand had I die. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]