Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Romantic
1.
Of or pertaining to romance; involving or resembling romance; hence, fanciful; marvelous; extravagant; unreal;
as, a
romantic
tale; a romantic
notion; a romantic
undertaking.Can anything in nature be imagined more profane and impious, more absurd, and undeed
romantic
, than such a persuasion? South.
Zeal for the good of one’s country a party of men have represented as chimerical and
romantic
. Addison.
2.
Entertaining ideas and expectations suited to a romance;
as, a
romantic
person; a romantic
mind.3.
Of or pertaining to the style of the Christian and popular literature of the Middle Ages, as opposed to the classical antique; of the nature of, or appropriate to, that style;
as, the
. romantic
school of poets4.
Characterized by strangeness or variety; suggestive of adventure; suited to romance; wild; picturesque; – applied to scenery;
as, a
. romantic
landscape
Syn. – Sentimental; fanciful; fantastic; fictitious; extravagant; wild; chimerical. See
Sentimental
. The romantic drama
. See under
Drama
.Webster 1828 Edition
Romantic
ROMAN'TIC
,Adj.
1.
Pertaining to romance, or resembling it; wild; fanciful; extravagant; as a romantic taste; romantic notions; romantic expectations; romantic zeal.2.
Improbably or chimerical; fictitious; as a romantic tale.3.
Fanciful; wild; full of wild or fantastic scenery; as a romantic prospect or landscape; a romantic situation.Definition 2024
Romantic
Romantic
English
Alternative forms
- Romantick (obsolete)
Adjective
Romantic (comparative more Romantic, superlative most Romantic)
- Of or pertaining to Romance.
- Of or pertaining to Romanticism.
- (informal, linguistics) Synonym of Romance
Translations
romantic
romantic
English
Alternative forms
- romantick (obsolete)
Adjective
romantic (comparative more romantic, superlative most romantic)
- (chiefly historical) Of a work of literature, a writer etc.: being like or having the characteristics of a romance, or poetic tale of a mythic or quasi-historical time; fantastic. [from 17th c.]
- (obsolete) Fictitious, imaginary. [17th-20th c.]
- Fantastic, unrealistic (of an idea etc.); fanciful, sentimental, impractical (of a person). [from 17th c.]
- Mary sighed, knowing her ideals were far too romantic to work in reality.
- Having the qualities of romance (in the sense of something appealing deeply to the imagination); invoking on a powerfully sentimental idea of life; evocative, atmospheric. [from 17th c.]
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Chapter 1
- But here is an artist. He desires to paint you the dreamiest, shadiest, quietest, most enchanting bit of romantic landscape in all the valley of the Saco.
- 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:
- Somehow she wasn't a real sister, but that only made her the more romantic.
- 2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:
- Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. Those that want to borrow are matched with those that want to lend.
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Chapter 1
- Pertaining to an idealised form of love (originally, as might be felt by the heroes of a romance); conducive to romance; loving, affectionate. [from 18th c.]
- Their kiss started casually, but it slowly turned romantic.
- Alternative form of Romantic [from 18th c.]
Synonyms
- (concerned with romance): lovesome
Antonyms
Derived terms
Derived terms
Translations
fantastic, idealistic
|
|
powerfully sentimental, evocative
|
|
concerned with, or conducive to, romance and love
|
|
Noun
romantic (plural romantics)
- A person with romantic character (a character like those of the knights in a mythic romance).
- A person who is behaving romantically (in a manner befitting someone who feels an idealized form of love).
- Oh, flowers! You're such a romantic.
Translations
person with romantic character
|
|
person who is behaving romantically
|
|
Descendants
- French: romantique
- Italian: romantico