flirtation

flirtation — 名詞

1. casual behaviour in which a person shows romantic or sexual attention to someone

1.名詞B2
釋義

調情

對他人表現浪漫興趣，但無認真意圖

casual behaviour in which a person shows romantic or sexual attention to someone in a playful way, without intending to develop a serious relationship

例句

Hari's light flirtation with his colleague at the office party made everyone smile.

Hari 在辦公室派對上與同事輕鬆調情，逗得大家都笑了。

collocation: light flirtation with [person]

A playful flirtation between Charlotte and Lakan soon turned into a genuine friendship.

Charlotte 和 Lakan 之間的一場嬉鬧調情，後來發展成真摯的友誼。

同義詞
  • flirting

    more concrete action; 'flirtation' can describe the overall situation or period

  • courtship

    more formal and implies serious romantic intention, unlike flirtation

  • coquetry

    more literary/dated; emphasises playful teasing rather than genuine interest

反義詞

文法句型

flirtation with + noun phrase

用法筆記

Commonly paired with adjectives such as light, harmless, playful, or brief to show the casual nature of the interaction. Unlike flirting (the action), flirtation can also refer to the whole situation or period of such behaviour.

常見錯誤

❌They had a flirtation relationship.
✅They had a flirtation.
💡'flirtation' is a noun, not an adjective; use 'flirtatious' for the adjective form.

2. a short period during which someone is temporarily interested in or involved wit

2.名詞B2
釋義

短暫興趣

對某事物短暫而非深入的參與

a short period during which someone is temporarily interested in or involved with an activity, idea, or subject, without making a deep or lasting commitment

例句

Élise had a brief flirtation with oil painting after retiring, covering her garage in half-finished canvases.

Élise 退休後曾短暫沉迷於油畫，車庫裡擺滿了畫到一半的畫布。

collocation: flirtation with [activity]

The senator's flirtation with radical policies lost her the support of moderate voters.

這位參議員對激進政策的短暫興趣，使她失去了溫和派選民的支持。

同義詞
  • dabbling

    more informal and suggests very light, unserious involvement

  • brief encounter

    more general; can apply to people or experiences, not exclusively interests

  • passing interest

    emphasises the shortness of the involvement rather than the casual nature

反義詞

文法句型

flirtation with + noun phrase (activity/subject/idea)

用法筆記

Usually followed by 'with' plus an activity or idea (flirtation with photography, flirtation with socialism). Unlike sense 1, this sense has no romantic meaning — the metaphor is about casual, non-committal dabbling.

常見錯誤

❌He had a flirtation in photography.
✅He had a flirtation with photography.
💡always use the preposition 'with', not 'in' or 'about'.