for the love of me: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  All English varietiesNeutralMachine
  • Out of affection or regard for me; because someone cares for or on account of the speaker.

  Examples

  Beta

  • He helped me move last weekend for the love of me, since I had no other friends nearby.

    He assisted me out of affection or regard for me.

  • She stayed late at work for the love of me, wanting to ensure everything was perfect.

    She did it because she cared about me.

  • For the love of me, don’t give up now; I believe in your abilities.

    Because of your regard for me, please don’t quit.

• 2.

  HistoricalBritish EnglishArchaicInformalMachine
  • An emphatic expression meaning 'no matter what I do' or 'whatever I do,' used to stress the speaker's actions or situation (chiefly historical or dialectal).

  Examples

  Beta

  • For the love of me, I can’t understand why this always happens no matter what I do.

    No matter what I do, I cannot understand this situation.

  • She tried for the love of me to fix the problem, but it just wouldn’t work.

    Whatever she did, she was unable to fix it.

  • For the love of me, he just won’t listen to any advice or reason.

    Whatever I do, he refuses to listen.