In badminton scoring, the term “love” means a score of zero.
The word is used for both players’ or pairs’ scores: an umpire may announce “love-all” at 0–0, or “5–love” when one side leads by five points. Badminton uses rally scoring, so a point is awarded after every rally, regardless of which side served.
“Love” is also used in tennis and some other racket sports, although its origin is debated. It is not a special badminton rule or a reference to the shuttlecock. Players must still win a game by the required margin under the Laws of Badminton, so a score such as 20–love is a large lead but not automatically the end of the game.
The term should not be confused with “love-all,” which describes only a tied score of zero to zero.