romance
romance — noun
1. a brief romantic involvement between two lovers that starts suddenly and often d
a brief romantic involvement between two lovers that starts suddenly and often does not last long.
Yara's romance with a co-worker lasted only a few months.
collocation: romance with [person]
The young couple's whirlwind romance ended as quickly as it began.
collocation: whirlwind romance
Nadia kept her office romance a secret from her colleagues.
Ilan's summer romance left him with many happy memories.
- love affair
broader term; can be long or short, more neutral in tone
- relationship
much broader; includes friendships and family ties, not specifically romantic
- affair
often suggests secrecy or that one person is married to someone else
文法句型
romance + with + person
用法筆記
Countable. Often used with 'with' to name the other person. Differs from sense 2 (ROMANTIC FEELINGS), which is uncountable and describes the experience or atmosphere of love rather than a specific relationship.
常見錯誤
2. the feelings of love, passion, and closeness between two people in a romantic re
the feelings of love, passion, and closeness between two people in a romantic relationship, including the thoughtful words and actions that keep that feeling alive.
The candlelit dinner was full of romance and sweet words.
collocation: full of romance
Nadia missed the romance that had faded from her marriage.
For Inês, romance means small gestures of kindness, not expensive gifts.
Renata brought romance back into their life by planning a weekend trip.
文法句型
full of romance
sense of romance
用法筆記
Uncountable. Describes the emotional quality or atmosphere of a relationship, not a specific dating arrangement. Differs from sense 1 (LOVE AFFAIR), which refers to a countable romantic relationship with a beginning and an end.
常見錯誤
3. a quality of mystery, adventure, or beauty that makes an experience, place, or a
a quality of mystery, adventure, or beauty that makes an experience, place, or activity feel special and exciting.
The romance of traveling through unknown lands drew Yuki to become a guide.
pattern: the romance of [activity]
There is a certain romance to living on a houseboat by the river.
pattern: there is a romance to [noun phrase]
The old station has lost the romance it held during rail's golden age.
For many children, the romance of space travel is hard to resist.
文法句型
the romance of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Usually uncountable or used as a singular mass noun. Often follows the pattern 'the romance of [something]' to name the source of the excitement. Not connected to love between people — the subject is typically an activity, a place, or an era.
常見錯誤
4. a book, film, or play that tells a story about two people falling in love, usual
a book, film, or play that tells a story about two people falling in love, usually with a happy ending.
Iris reads a romance every week to relax after work.
The novel is a classic romance set in nineteenth-century Paris.
collocation: classic romance
Nikhil prefers thrillers, but his sister loves a good romance.
The cinema is showing a romance that was adapted from a bestselling novel.
Lotte borrowed a stack of romances from the library for her flight.
- love story
more general term; can describe real events or fictional ones; less tied to the publishing genre
- romance novel
specifically a book-length love story, often with genre conventions
文法句型
read a romance
write a romance
用法筆記
Countable. Refers to a work of fiction, not a real relationship. The plural form 'romances' can refer to multiple books or films in the genre. The Romance novel genre is a major category of popular fiction, often sold with a specific cover style.
常見錯誤
5. a type of tale, usually placed in a distant historical period, that follows a he
a type of tale, usually placed in a distant historical period, that follows a heroic figure through adventures, battles, and journeys.
The film is a romance set in medieval France about a knight's quest.
collocation: medieval romance
Adaeze enjoys reading historical romances set in ancient China.
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These romances were passed down by storytellers long before they were ever written down.
Scholars study medieval romances to understand the values and beliefs of that era.
- adventure story
modern term; does not carry the medieval or chivalric associations
- epic
a long narrative poem or story about heroic deeds; more formal and grand in scale
- saga
a long story of heroic achievements, often spanning generations
文法句型
medieval romance
historical romance
用法筆記
Countable. This is the oldest meaning of 'romance' in English. It originally described a verse story in Old French about a heroic figure. Today it is used mostly in literary or historical contexts. Differs from sense 4 (LOVE STORY) because the main focus is adventure, not romantic love.
romance — verb
1. when someone tells the story of a real happening but adds extra, often invented,
when someone tells the story of a real happening but adds extra, often invented, details to make it seem more dramatic or appealing than it actually was.
The journalist romanced the story to make it more exciting for readers.
collocation: romance the story
Paul tends to romance his travel adventures whenever he tells them at dinner parties.
The biography was criticized for romancing the politician's early years.
Sade does not need to romance her achievements; they are impressive enough on their own.
- exaggerate
overstate facts; more common and less creative in tone than 'romance'
- embroider
add invented details to a story; more informal
- glamorize
make something seem more attractive or exciting than it is; often used for places or lifestyles
- understate
describe something as less important or dramatic than it is
文法句型
romance + direct object (story, account, event)
用法筆記
Transitive; takes a direct object such as 'story', 'account', 'achievements'. The emphasis is on adding colour or drama to the truth, not on inventing entirely false information. Compare with 'exaggerate', which focuses on overstating facts, and 'fabricate', which means making up something completely untrue.
常見錯誤
2. when you pay attention to someone, give them presents, or treat them kindly beca
when you pay attention to someone, give them presents, or treat them kindly because you want them to fall in love with you.
The young musician romanced a neighbour with flowers, poems, and long walks on the beach.
pattern: romance + with + gifts/attention
The young director romanced the investors with promises of huge profits.
extended use: romance investors (not romantic love)
Renata was romanced by a charming stranger during her holiday in Italy.
Politicians often romance voters in the months before an election.
文法句型
romance + person
romance + person + with + gifts/attention
用法筆記
Transitive. Can be used literally (winning someone's love) or figuratively (winning someone's support or favour). In extended uses, the object is typically a group (voters, investors, clients) and the meaning is closer to 'flatter' or 'curry favour with'. Less common than 'court' in modern English.
常見錯誤
romance — adjective
1. describing a group of languages that developed from Latin, the language of the a
describing a group of languages that developed from Latin, the language of the ancient Romans — such as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.
French, Spanish, and Italian are all Romance languages.
Lotte studied linguistics and focused on the Romance language family.
collocation: Romance language family
Portuguese is the sixth most widely spoken Romance language in the world.
The professor explained how Romance languages evolved from everyday Latin.
文法句型
Romance + language / languages
用法筆記
Always written with a capital 'R' (Romance) because it derives from the Latin word 'Romanicus', meaning 'of Rome'. This is a completely different origin from the noun and verb senses of 'romance'. Only used attributively before a noun, almost always before 'language', 'languages', or 'language family'. Do not confuse with 'romantic', which relates to love.