English Vocabulary for Dating and Relationships
Dating and relationships are two topics that people want to talk about all the time. There are few things more interesting than your best friend's new boyfriend or girlfriend! In this lesson, you will learn all of the words you need to speak about dating, relationships and love in English.
Whether you want to talk about these topics with friends, family or coworkers, these words will be useful for you. Even better, after this lesson you will feel confident the next time you want to go on a date in English.
This lesson is part of the English Vocabulary Illustrated Word Lists section. Let's get started!
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In this lesson, we will cover these topics:
- Words to describe your significant other
- Useful adjectives to describe your date
- Common dates
- Showing affection
- Verbs and expressions
- Words to describe being in love
- Other words related to Relationships
Words to describe your significant other
The term significant other is a general term that refers to a person you are romantically involved with. In order to be considered your significant other, the person has to be someone you are in a serious relationship with. Do you know these other words to speak about your significant other?
Crush
If you have a crush on someone, that
means that you are very attracted to them but you are not in a
relationship with them. A "crush" can be a thing that you have and it
can also be the noun used to describe someone that you have a crush on.
Date
"Going on a date" means spending time with
someone that you are romantically interested in. Your "date" is the
person that you are going on a date with.
Boyfriend
"Boyfriend" is the word that describes someone that you are dating who is male.
"Girlfriend" is the word that describes a girl who you are dating.
Fiancé
If you are planning on marrying someone, "fiancé" is the word used to describe that person if he is a man.
Fiancée
If you are planning on marrying someone, "fiancé" is the word used to describe that person if she is a woman.
Partner
Your "partner" is a person you are in a
romantic relationship with. That person can be called a partner whether
they are male or female.
Husband
The man that you are married to is called your husband.
Wife
The woman that you are married to is called your wife.
Better half or other half
Sometimes, people use the expression "better half" or "other half" to describe their husband or wife.
Useful adjectives to describe your date
Cute
If someone is "cute," that means that they are nice looking.
Charming
A person is charming if they have a nice way of acting and people enjoy being with them.
Fun
A person can be described as "fun" if it is pleasant to be around them and if you have fun when you are with them.
Funny
A person is "funny" if they make you laugh.
Good looking
"Good looking" means that a person is physically attractive.
Pretty
"Pretty" is a word used to describe a woman who is nice to look at.
Gorgeous
"Gorgeous" is a word used to describe a man or a woman who is very, very good looking.
Handsome
The word "handsome" is used to describe a man who is good looking.
Hot
"Hot" describes a person who is physically attractive.
In shape
If a person is "in shape," it means that their body looks as if they exercise and that their body is attractive.
Smart
Someone is smart if they are intelligent, which means that they know a lot of things.
Clever
Someone is clever if they learn things quickly.
Caring
A caring person is a person who cares about other people and is kind and helpful to them.
Thoughtful
A person is thoughtful if they think about the needs to other people and then try to meet those needs.
Considerate
A person is considerate if they consider what other people need and try to help them.
Common dates
Go for a coffee
To "go for a coffee" means to go to a restaurant or café and have a drink, usually coffee, and perhaps a snack together.
Go for a drink
To "go for a drink" means to go to a bar and drink alcohol and spend time together.
Grab a bite to eat
To "grab a bite to eat" means to eat a quick and casual meal together.
Go for a meal
To "go for a meal" means to eat together at a restaurant.
Go out to eat
To "go out to eat" means to eat a meal together at a restaurant.
Eat out
To "eat out" means to eat a meal in a restaurant together.
Catch a movie
To "catch a movie" means to go to a movie theater together to watch a movie.
Check out a museum
To "check out a museum" means to visit a museum together.
Celebrate an anniversary
An "anniversary" is
the day and month that is the exact day and month of a special event,
such as the day two people got married. So to "celebrate an
anniversary" means to do something special because it is an
anniversary, such as to eat a meal at a special restaurant.
Showing affection
Kiss
"Kiss" can be both a noun and a verb. As a verb, is describes to action
of touching your lips to someone else's lips to show affection. As a
noun, it describes the act of kissing someone.
Make out (or: French kiss)
To make out (or: to French kiss) means to kiss with open mouths and touching tongues.
Give someone a peck on the cheek
A "peck on the check" is a small kiss where the lips touch the cheek instead of the mouth.
Hug
"Hug" can be a noun or a verb. As a verb,
it means to put your arms around someone to show affection. As a noun,
it describes the act of hugging.
Cuddle
To "cuddle" is to hold someone close to your body in order to show affection.
Hold hands
To "hold hands" means to link your hand to someone else's hand in order to show affection.
Be affectionate
To "be affectionate" means to do any physical act, such as hugging or kissing, in order to show affection.
Verbs and expressions
To have a fling
To "have a fling" means to have a short, intense relationship with someone.
To ask someone out
To "ask someone out" means to ask them if they want to go out on a date with you.
Go out
To "go out" means to go out on a date with someone that you are romantically interested in.
Date
To "date" means to go somewhere with someone you are attracted to in order to spend time together.
Hang out
To "hang out" means to spend time with someone, either in a public place or at home.
Get together
To "get together" means to spend time with someone doing an activity or eating a meal.
Get to know
To "get to know" someone means to spend time with them in order to learn about them.
Get along
To "get along" with someone means that you both enjoy spending time in each other's company.
Meet through a friend
If someone has "met
through a friend" that means that they are in a relationship with
someone that they met because they have a friend in common who
introduced them to each other.
Set people up
To "set people up" means to tell two people that they should date each other.
Treat
To "treat" means to pay the cost for another person's meal or activity when on a date.
Invite
To "invite" someone means to ask them to do something with you.
Chat up
To "chat up" someone means to have a casual conversation with someone in order to get to know them better.
Flirt with
To "flirt with" someone means to talk and act a certain way in order to make clear to them that you are attracted to them.
Break up
To "break up" with someone means to end your romantic relationship with them.
Split up
To "split up" with someone means to end your romantic relationship with them.
Fall out
To "fall out" with someone means to
not agree with them about something and to have bad feelings for each
other as a result of it.
Have a fight
To "have a fight" with someone means to not agree with them about something and to have an argument over it.
To pop the question
To "pop the question" means to ask someone to marry you.
To tie the knot
To "tie the knot" means to get married.
To be on the rocks
To be "on the rocks" means to be having an unpleasant time in a romantic relationship because you are not getting along.
To make up
To "make up" means to forgive someone after an argument so that you both feel better and are no longer angry at each other.
To play hard to get
To "play hard to get" means
to act as if you are not interested in someone so that they will try
harder to get you to be interested in them.
Words to describe being in love
Fall for
To "fall for" someone means to begin to have romantic feelings for that person.
Fall in love
To "fall in love" means to begin to feel loving feelings for that person.
Be attracted to
To "be attracted to" someone means that you have romantic feelings for them.
Be compatible
To "be compatible" with someone
means that it is easy for you to get along with them and that you enjoy
spending time with each other.
Have a lot in common
To "have a lot in common"
means that you have a lot of the same interests and hobbies as another
person and so you find it easy to talk to them.
Be interested in
To "be interested in" someone means that you have romantic feelings for them and you would like to know them better.
Engaged
To be "engaged" to someone means that you have agreed to marry them but have not yet married them.
To propose
To propose means to ask someone to marry you.
To stand someone up
If you "stand someone up,"
it means that you had a date planned with them but you did not show up
or tell them that you were not going to show up.
Married
To be married means that you are in a permanent romantic relationship with someone.
Single
To be single means that you are not married.
To get divorced
To get divorced means to end your marriage.
Other words related to Relationships
Blind date
A "blind date" is a date where the people have not met each other
before. Usually the date has been suggested by someone who is friends
with both of the people who go on the date.
Double date
A "double date" is when two couples go out together on a date.
Dutch treat
A "Dutch treat" is when each person pays for their own activities and food on a date.
Affair
An affair is a relationship between two people, one or both of whom are married to someone else.
Lover
A "lover" is a partner in a romantic relationship when the couple is not married to each other.
Romance
"Romance" refers to the feelings of love.
Smitten
"Smitten" describes the feeling of beginning to be in love with someone.
Sweetheart
Your "sweetheart" is the person that you have romantic feelings for.
Unrequited
If you have romantic feelings for
someone but they do not have romantic feelings for you, your love for
them is "unrequited."
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, which is
February 14th, is the day when people do something special for the
person that they love. They might give them a special gift (often
chocolate or flowers) and go on a special date.
Stalker
A "stalker" is someone who pays too
much attention to someone who is not interested in them and makes that
person feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Long Distance Relationship
If you are in a long
distance relationship with someone, that means that you are in a
romantic relationship with them but that they live far away from you.
Matchmaker
A "matchmaker" is someone who likes
to introduce people to each other who they think might be romantically
interested in each other.
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