Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, plural romances, present participle romancing, past tense, past participle romanced
1. countable noun
A romance is a relationship between two people who are in love with each other but who arenot married to each other.
After a whirlwind romance the couple announced their engagement in July.
...a holiday romance.
Synonyms: love affair, relationship, affair, intrigue More Synonyms of romance
2. uncountable noun
Romance refers to the actions and feelings of people who are in love, especially behaviour which is very caring or affectionate.
He still finds time for romance by cooking candlelit dinners for his girlfriend.
He takes a rather sceptical view of love and romance.
Synonyms: love, passion, affection, attachment More Synonyms of romance
3. uncountable noun
You can refer to the pleasure and excitement of doing something new or exciting as romance.
We want to recreate the romance and excitement that used to be part of rail journeys.
Synonyms: excitement, colour, charm, mystery More Synonyms of romance
4. countable noun
A romance is a novel or film about a love affair.
Her taste in fiction was for chunky historical romances.
Synonyms: story, novel, tale, fantasy More Synonyms of romance
5. uncountable noun
Romance is used to refer to novels about love affairs.
Since taking up writing romance in 1967 she has brought out over fifty books.
6. variable noun
A medieval romance is a story about adventures such as battles and long journeys.
...Arthurian Romances.
7. verb
To romance someone means to behave in a romantic way towards them.
[journalism, old-fashioned]
He has romanced some of the world's most eligible women. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: court, date, chase, pursue More Synonyms of romance
8. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Romance languages are languages such as French, Spanish, and Italian, which come from Latin.
[technical]
More Synonyms of romance
romance in British English
noun (rəˈmæns, ˈrəʊmæns)
1.
a love affair, esp an intense and happy but short-lived affair
2.
love, esp romantic love idealized for its purity or beauty
3.
a spirit of or inclination for adventure, excitement, or mystery
4.
a mysterious, exciting, sentimental, or nostalgic quality, esp one associated with a place
5.
a narrative in verse or prose, written in a vernacular language in the Middle Ages, dealing with strange and exciting adventures of chivalrous heroes
6.
any similar narrative work dealing with events and characters remote from ordinary life
7.
the literary genre represented by works of these kinds
8.
(in Spanish literature) a short narrative poem, usually an epic or historical ballad
9.
a story, novel, film, etc, dealing with love, usually in an idealized or sentimentalway
10.
an extravagant, absurd, or fantastic account or explanation
11.
a lyrical song or short instrumental composition having a simple melody
verb (rəˈmæns)
12. (intransitive)
to tell, invent, or write extravagant or romantic fictions
13. (intransitive)
to tell extravagant or improbable lies
14. (intransitive)
to have romantic thoughts
15. (intransitive)
(of a couple) to indulge in romantic behaviour
16. (transitive)
to be romantically involved with
Derived forms
romancer (roˈmancer)
noun
Word origin
C13: romauns, from Old French romans, ultimately from Latin Rōmānicus Roman
Romance in British English
(rəˈmæns, ˈrəʊmæns)
adjective
1.
denoting, relating to, or belonging to the languages derived from Latin, including Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Romanian
2.
denoting a word borrowed from a Romance language
there are many Romance words in English
noun
3.
this group of languages; the living languages that belong to the Italic branch of the Indo-European family
Romance in American English
(roʊˈmæns; ˈroʊˌmæns)
adjective
1.
designating, of, or constituting any of the languages derived from Vulgar Latin, as Italian, Spanish, French, or Romanian
noun
2.
these languages as a group
Word origin
< obs. Fr (langue) romance, Romance language < OFr romanz: see romance
romance in American English
(roʊˈmæns; ˈroʊˌmæns)
noun
1.
a long medieval narrative in verse or prose, orig. written in one of the Romancedialects, about the adventures of knights and other chivalric heroes
2.
a fictitious tale of wonderful and extraordinary events, characterized by a nonrealistic and idealizing use of the imagination
3.
a type of novel in which the emphasis is on love, adventure, etc.
4.
the type of literature comprising such stories
5.
excitement, love, and adventure of the kind found in such literature; romantic qualityor spirit
6.
the tendency to derive great pleasure from romantic adventures; romantic sentiment
7.
an exaggeration or fabrication that has no real substance
8.
a love affair
9. Music
a short, lyrical, usually sentimental piece, suggesting a love song
verb intransitiveWord forms: roˈmanced or roˈmancing
10.
to make up false or exaggerated stories
11.
to think or talk about romantic things
12. Informal
to make love; court; woo
verb transitive Informal
13.
to make love to; woo
14.
to seek to gain the favor of, as by flattery; court
Derived forms
romancer (roˈmancer)
noun
Word origin
ME < OFr romanz < romanz (escrire), (to write) in Roman (i.e., the vernacular, not Latin) < VL Romanice (scribere) < L Romanicus, Roman
COBUILD Collocations
romance
whirlwind romance
Examples of 'romance' in a sentence
romance
She definitely deserves to find some romance.
The Sun (2016)
You feel confident when it comes to love and a whirlwind romance could be in store.
The Sun (2016)
Love-wise, sudden romance comes into your life when you watch a very physical sport.
The Sun (2016)
While established couples rediscover romance.
The Sun (2016)
Who says romance is dead?
The Sun (2016)
And my ex's holiday romance?
The Sun (2016)
With generous Jupiter in your love life, romance races in to stay.
The Sun (2016)
It's a satisfying plot with a particularly nice twist at the end, and we certainly do love the romance.
The Sun (2017)
POOR time keeping, office romances and foul habits are rife in smaller businesses - with one in ten not liking who they work with.
The Sun (2016)
You will be asked two intriguing love questions when romance is the last thing on your mind.
The Sun (2009)
Those who frequently wear blue enjoy the least compliments and office romances.
The Sun (2012)
And they say that romance is dead.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Their romance is still very much on and they are increasingly fond of each other.
The Sun (2014)
You will find romance where indoor sport is played.
The Sun (2009)
The romance of his story was building up very well.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This could be linked to a holiday romance or a second honeymoon.
The Sun (2009)
It seems she may have a little romance in her life.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The four recent books reviewed here take different approaches to medieval romance and its reception.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
You are smarter about love and see that respect is a vital part of romance.
The Sun (2008)
This rolling romance comes at a price.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This is how they nurtured their budding romance.
Christianity Today (2000)
Perhaps that whirlwind romance was too fast.
The Sun (2012)
The time is right for love and romance.
The Sun (2015)
This is the time for office romances.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Now they have decided to end their romance a second time following a series of clashes in the last fewweeks.
The Sun (2015)
If you have watched any romance sabotage films before, you know the rest.
The Sun (2008)
The story is so preposterous, it should have been an odd little footnote in the history of period romance fiction.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Sources say the wild antics sparked the end of the couple 's eight-month romance.
The Sun (2011)
Historical romances filmed in New Zealand during the first thirty years of the twentieth century appealed to a widespread taste for melodrama and the exotic there.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
Word lists with
romance
Language Groups, Types of composition
In other languages
romance
British English: romance /rəˈmæns/ NOUN
A romance is a relationship between two people who are in love with each other but who are not married to each other.
...a holiday romance.
American English: romance
Arabic: رُومَانْسِيَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: romance
Chinese: 浪漫史
Croatian: romansa
Czech: milostný vztah
Danish: romance
Dutch: romance
European Spanish: idilio
Finnish: romanssi
French: idylle
German: Romanze
Greek: ρομάντσο
Italian: storia d’amore
Japanese: 恋愛
Korean: 로맨스
Norwegian: romanse
Polish: romans
European Portuguese: romance
Romanian: aventurăromantice
Russian: роман романтические взаимоотношения
Latin American Spanish: idilio
Swedish: romans
Thai: เรื่องรักใคร่
Turkish: aşk
Ukrainian: роман
Vietnamese: mối tình
Chinese translation of 'romance'
romance
(rəˈmæns)
n
(c) (= affair) 恋(戀)情 (liànqíng) (段, duàn)
(u) (= romantic actions, feelings) 浪漫 (làngmàn)
(u) (= charm, excitement) 迷人之处(處) (mírén zhī chù)
(c) (= novel) 爱(愛)情小说(說) (àiqíng xiǎoshuō)
1 (noun)
Definition
a love affair
a holiday romance
Synonyms
love affair
That was the beginning of their whirlwind love affair
relationship
She likes to have a relationship with her leading men.
affair
Two colleagues were carrying on an affair.
intrigue
She detected her husband in an intrigue with a co-worker.
attachment
liaison
She embarked on a liaison with a noted society figure.
amour
This meaningful amour had gone horribly wrong.
affair of the heart
affaire (du coeur) (French)
2 (noun)
Definition
love, esp. romantic love idealized for its purity or beauty
He still finds time for romance.
Synonyms
love
Our love for each other has been increased by what we've been through together.
passion
Romeo's passion for Juliet
affection
She thought of him with affection.
attachment
I feel a strong attachment to my home town.
intimacy
ardour
Their romantic ardour had cooled.
3 (noun)
Definition
a spirit of or inclination for adventure or mystery
We want to recreate the romance of old train journeys.
Synonyms
excitement
colour
The ceremony brought a touch of colour to the normally drab proceedings.
charm
mystery
adventure
a feeling of adventure and excitement
sentiment
glamour
the glamour of showbiz
fascination
She had a charm and fascination all of her own.
nostalgia
exoticness
4 (noun)
Definition
a story or film dealing with love, usually in an idealized way
Her taste in fiction was for historical romances.
Synonyms
story
a popular love story with a happy ending
novel
He had all but finished writing a first novel.
tale
a collection of poems and folk tales
fantasy
The film is more a fantasy than a horror story.
legend
the legends of ancient Greece
fiction
She is a writer of historical fiction.
fairy tale
She was like a princess in a fairy tale.
love story
melodrama
idyll
tear-jerker (informal)
5 (noun)
Definition
an extravagant, absurd, or fantastic account
Synonyms
tall story
lie
I've had enough of your lies.
fiction
Total recycling is a fiction.
invention
The story was undoubtedly pure invention.
fairy tale
Many of those who write books lie much more than those who tell fairy tales.
exaggeration
absurdity
fabrication
She described the interview with her as a `complete fabrication'.
falsehood
He accused them of knowingly spreading falsehoods about him.
flight of fancy
urban myth (informal)
urban legend
trumped-up story
1 (verb)
Definition
to tell extravagant or improbable lies
He wanted to be romanced the old-fashioned way.
Synonyms
court
I was courting him at 19 and married him when I was 21.
date
We've been dating for three months.
chase
We were shy and preferred basketball to chasing boys.
pursue
He had pursued her, and they started dating.
take out
go (out) with
woo
The penniless author successfully wooed and married Roxanne.
make love to
run after
serenade
walk out with
keep company with
pay court to
go steady with (informal)
set your cap at
pay your addresses to
sue (archaic)
2 (verb)
Synonyms
exaggerate
lie
tell stories
fantasize
I fantasized about writing music.
make up stories
be economical with the truth
stretch the truth
let your imagination run away with you
Additional synonyms
in the sense of adventure
Definition
exciting or unexpected events
a feeling of adventure and excitement
Synonyms
excitement,
action,
passion,
thrill,
enthusiasm,
fever,
warmth,
flurry,
animation,
ferment,
commotion,
elation,
discomposure
in the sense of affair
Definition
a sexual relationship outside marriage
Two colleagues were carrying on an affair.
Synonyms
relationship,
romance,
intrigue,
fling,
liaison,
flirtation,
amour,
dalliance
in the sense of affection
Definition
fondness or tenderness for a person or thing
She thought of him with affection.
Synonyms
fondness,
liking,
feeling,
love,
care,
desire,
passion,
warmth,
attachment,
goodwill,
devotion,
kindness,
inclination,
tenderness,
propensity,
friendliness,
amity (formal),
aroha (New Zealand)
Synonyms of 'romance'
romance
Explore 'romance' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of amour
Definition
a secret love affair
This meaningful amour had gone horribly wrong.
Synonyms
love affair,
relationship,
affair,
romance,
intrigue,
liaison,
affaire de coeur
in the sense of ardour
Definition
emotional warmth
Their romantic ardour had cooled.
Synonyms
passion,
feeling,
fire,
heat,
spirit,
intensity,
warmth,
devotion,
fervour,
vehemence,
fierceness
in the sense of attachment
Definition
affection or regard for
I feel a strong attachment to my home town.
Synonyms
fondness,
liking,
feeling,
love,
relationship,
regard,
bond,
friendship,
attraction,
loyalty,
affection,
devotion,
fidelity,
affinity,
tenderness,
reverence,
predilection,
possessiveness,
partiality,
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of chase
Definition
to court (someone) in an unsubtle manner
We were shy and preferred basketball to chasing boys.
Synonyms
woo,
pursue,
flirt with,
run after,
pay court to,
set your cap at,
sext
in the sense of colour
Definition
details which give vividness or authenticity
The ceremony brought a touch of colour to the normally drab proceedings.
Synonyms
liveliness,
life,
interest,
excitement,
animation,
zest
in the sense of date
Definition
to be a boyfriend or girlfriend of
We've been dating for three months.
Synonyms
go out with,
take out,
go around with,
be romantically involved with,
go steady with,
step out with (informal)
in the sense of fabrication
She described the interview with her as a `complete fabrication'.
Synonyms
forgery,
lie,
fiction,
myth,
fake,
invention,
fable,
concoction,
falsehood,
figment,
untruth,
porky (British, slang),
fairy story (informal),
pork pie (British, slang),
cock-and-bull story (informal),
claptrap (informal)
in the sense of fairy tale
Definition
a story about fairies or magical events
She was like a princess in a fairy tale.
Synonyms
folk tale,
romance,
traditional story
in the sense of fairy tale
Definition
a highly improbable account
Many of those who write books lie much more than those who tell fairy tales.
Synonyms
lie,
fantasy,
fiction,
invention,
fabrication,
untruth,
porky (British, slang),
pork pie (British, slang),
urban myth,
tall story,
urban legend,
cock-and-bull story (informal)
in the sense of falsehood
Definition
a lie
He accused them of knowingly spreading falsehoods about him.
Synonyms
lie,
story (informal),
fiction,
fabrication,
fib,
untruth,
porky (British, slang),
pork pie (British, slang),
misstatement
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fantasize
Definition
to imagine pleasant but unlikely events
I fantasized about writing music.
Synonyms
daydream,
imagine,
invent,
romance,
envision,
hallucinate,
see visions,
live in a dream world,
build castles in the air,
give free rein to the imagination
in the sense of fantasy
Definition
fiction with a large fantasy content
The film is more a fantasy than a horror story.
Synonyms
fairy tale,
story,
romance,
fairy story,
folk tale
in the sense of fascination
She had a charm and fascination all of her own.
Synonyms
attraction,
pull,
spell,
magic,
charm,
lure,
glamour,
allure,
magnetism,
enchantment,
sorcery
in the sense of fiction
Definition
literary works invented by the imagination, such as novels
She is a writer of historical fiction.
Synonyms
tale,
story,
novel,
legend,
myth,
romance,
fable,
storytelling,
narration,
creative writing,
work of imagination
in the sense of fiction
Definition
an invented story or explanation
Total recycling is a fiction.
Synonyms
lie,
fancy,
fantasy,
invention,
improvisation,
fabrication,
concoction,
falsehood,
untruth,
porky (British, slang),
pork pie (British, slang),
urban myth,
tall story,
urban legend,
cock and bull story (informal),
figment of the imagination
in the sense of glamour
the glamour of showbiz
Synonyms
excitement,
magic,
thrill,
romance,
prestige,
glitz (slang)
in the sense of intrigue
Definition
a secret love affair
She detected her husband in an intrigue with a co-worker.
Synonyms
affair,
romance,
intimacy,
liaison,
amour
in the sense of invention
Definition
a lie
The story was undoubtedly pure invention.
Synonyms
fiction,
story (informal),
fantasy,
lie,
yarn (informal),
fabrication,
concoction,
falsehood,
fib (informal),
untruth,
urban myth,
prevarication,
tall story (informal),
urban legend,
figment or product of (someone's) imagination
in the sense of legend
Definition
a popular story handed down from earlier times which may or may not be true
the legends of ancient Greece
Synonyms
myth,
story,
tale,
fiction,
narrative,
saga,
fable,
folk tale,
urban myth,
urban legend,
folk story
in the sense of liaison
Definition
a secretive or adulterous sexual relationship
She embarked on a liaison with a noted society figure.
Synonyms
affair,
romance,
intrigue,
fling,
love affair,
amour,
entanglement,
illicit romance
Additional synonyms
in the sense of lie
Definition
something that is deliberately intended to deceive
I've had enough of your lies.
Synonyms
falsehood,
deceit,
fabrication,
fib,
fiction,
invention,
deception,
untruth,
porky (British, slang),
pork pie (British, slang),
white lie,
falsification,
prevarication,
falsity,
mendacity
in the sense of novel
Definition
a long fictional story in book form
He had all but finished writing a first novel.
Synonyms
story,
tale,
fiction,
romance,
narrative
in the sense of passion
Definition
intense sexual love
Romeo's passion for Juliet
Synonyms
love,
desire,
affection,
lust,
the hots (slang),
attachment,
itch,
fondness,
adoration,
infatuation,
ardour,
keenness,
concupiscence (formal)
in the sense of pursue
Definition
to follow persistently or seek to become acquainted with
He had pursued her, and they started dating.
Synonyms
court,
woo,
pay attention to,
make up to (informal),
chase after,
pay court to,
set your cap at
in the sense of relationship
Definition
an emotional or sexual affair
She likes to have a relationship with her leading men.
Synonyms
affair,
romance,
fling,
liaison,
amour,
intrigue
in the sense of tale
Definition
a report, account, or story
a collection of poems and folk tales
Synonyms
story,
narrative,
anecdote,
account,
relation,
novel,
legend,
fiction,
romance,
saga,
short story,
yarn (informal),
fable,
narration,
conte,
spiel (informal),
urban myth,
urban legend
in the sense of woo
Definition
to attempt to gain the love of (a woman)
The penniless author successfully wooed and married Roxanne.