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to court

to court

36 4.2
To try to win someone's love, often to form a serious relationship
  • verb
  • /kɔrt/
  • Formal
translation icon : cortejar
  • If you can keep your intention to stay out of trouble, you may court my daughter.
  • court and marry
  • begin to court
  • court a man

According to The Kinsey Report, every average man you know much prefers his lovey dovey to court when the temperature is low.

Examples

  • Melissa, how long have you and this young man been courting?

  • Stanley Kowalski leaves his office and comes to my home to court me, in his way.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Maybe you should court someone your own age.

  • Perhaps I'd only need to court her for three months.

  • The male is attempting to court the female.

  • I believe you should court the girl we met at Jamba Juice.

  • In a rather conventional series of events, they courted and got married.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • My wife and I used to go for a stroll in Victoria Park when we were courting.

  • You know, where I come from, when a man wants to court a woman, he at least brings her flowers, writes her charming love notes, and takes her to dinner and feeds her first.

  • He decided to court her by bringing flowers and taking her out on romantic dates.

Synonyms

to chase
vsto court
  • NSFW
194 4.0

To try to start a romantic relationship with someone

seeks to win affection with a goal of marriage rather than casual interest
to woo
vsto court
44 4.6

To try to get someone's love or romantic feelings

aims to win affection specifically with intention of marriage
to romance
vsto court
16 5.3

To try to attract someone you like, often with gifts or kind words

focuses on winning love or affection especially toward marriage

Antonyms

1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

21 4.2

Make someone or something move back and stay away, often by using force

Idioms

out of court
  • Specialized
29 3.7

Without going to trial in a court

It is now someone's turn to act or decide

1 9.0

To reject something as silly and not take it seriously in places like a court or meeting

To let someone else decide what to do next

Phrasal Verbs

To get people to listen and enjoy what you say

To try to get someone's approval by praising them a lot

Compounds

656 3.1

The highest court in the United States that makes final decisions for all other courts

121 3.1

A court the national government uses to decide cases about laws for the whole country

court order
  • Formal
108 3.5

An official instruction from a court telling someone to do or stop doing something

76 3.2

A place where a judge hears and decides cases about the law

court-martial
  • Specialized
56 7.4

A military court that tries soldiers for breaking military rules

appeals court
  • Specialized
52 4.4

A court that reviews and decides on cases from lower courts

46 4.5

The top group of judges in a country or state that hears the most important cases and appeals

superior court
  • Specialized
42 5.3

A court that hears appeals and serious trials

day in court
  • Formal
41 5.5

A time in court when someone can tell their side of the story

41 1.4

A flat area marked with lines and a net where people play tennis

An indoor or outdoor area marked with lines for playing basketball

lower court
  • Specialized
27 3.6

A court whose decisions can be reviewed by a higher court

24 2.7

A place in a shopping mall with many stalls selling different foods around shared tables

family court
  • Formal
22 3.0

A court that deals with family problems like divorce and child custody

The highest court in the United States that decides important national cases and reviews lower court decisions

appellate court
  • Specialized
21 7.4

A court that reviews and can change decisions of lower courts

A court that deals with illegal acts and decides punishments

18 5.0

A group of judges who review and can change decisions from lower courts

15 7.5

Showing disrespect to a judge or refusing to obey a court order that can be punished

A court that deals with children accused of crimes or needing care

12 3.2

The highest court in a country or state that reviews lower court decisions

11 3.0

The place where a sports team plays its own games for local fans

10 4.9

A group of officers who try members of the armed forces for breaking their rules

9 4.4

The public's opinion about a person or issue formed outside a legal trial

9 3.2

The middle area of a basketball court near the center line

The highest court in the United States that decides important questions about the law for the whole country

trial court
  • Specialized
9 3.7

A court where a case is first heard and the facts are decided

The highest group of judges in a U.S. state who decide appeals about state law

divorce court
  • Formal
8 3.7

A court that ends marriages and decides matters like child custody and property

kangaroo court
  • Informal
6 8.8

An unfair trial that pretends to be legal and decides guilt beforehand

5 4.1

A group of people who serve and advise a king or queen, like family and nobles

4 8.3

A formal appearance in court for a hearing

An agreement that ends a legal dispute before it goes to court

4 3.2

A place where a judge decides cases about breaking driving and parking rules

probate court
  • Formal
4 7.6

A court that checks wills and manages a person's property after death

3 5.0

An international court that settles disputes between countries and gives advice on international law

moot court
  • Jargon
3 7.4

A practice court where law students argue pretend court cases

3 2.7

An indoor room with four walls where people play squash

2 7.9

A person or group not in a case who gives information about the law to help the court decide

full-court press
  • Informal
2 5.1

A strong, aggressive effort to reach a goal quickly, often to win support

2 3.1

A place where a judge hears cases and gives decisions

A court that settles legal disputes between countries and gives legal advice to the United Nations

2 3.8

A place where judges decide legal cases and apply the law

2 5.4

A court that holds criminal cases at night instead of during the day

A marked area with a net where people play volleyball

An indoor or outdoor playing area with walls for handball

A secret United States court that allows electronic monitoring and searches for foreign intelligence

A federal court that reviews cases from lower courts in a group of states

1 3.0

A game people play on a marked court like tennis or basketball

1 3.9

Going at an angle across the court from one side to the other

An area marked for playing badminton with a net in the middle

police court
  • Archaic
1 4.6

A lower court that handles minor crimes and sends serious cases to a higher court

1 7.7

A military court that tries soldiers for less serious crimes, usually with three officers

A major American Civil War battle in May 1864 between Grant and Lee

A major 1778 battle in New Jersey during the American Revolution that made British troops leave

9.8

A court that handles disputes about trusts and wills and can order someone to stop actions, not criminal cases

charter court
  • Formal
8.1

A court set up by a written agreement to decide disputes about a town or group's rules

A playing card that shows a person like a king, queen, or jack

court of assize
  • Archaic
9.9

A former county court in England and Wales for serious criminal cases

A former county court in England that heard serious criminal and civil trials

9.9

A court that deals with fairness in legal cases, like trusts and estates

A court that deals with family matters like custody, divorce, and child support

The royal court where the king or queen accepts foreign ambassadors

court plaster
  • Archaic
9.9

A small sticky patch that covers a minor cut

court tennis
  • Literature
9.9

An old indoor form of tennis played on a court with four walls

A shot played at an angle across the court from one side to the other

A court that deals with family problems like divorce, child custody, and support

A quick military trial held in the field for urgent offenses without the usual rules

A major 1778 battle in New Jersey during the American Revolution where the British army withdrew

inferior court
  • Specialized
5.6

A court whose decisions a higher court can review and change

provost court
  • Archaic
9.9

A military court that tries people for minor crimes during an occupation

tourist court
  • Archaic
7.7

A small roadside hotel or group of cabins where you can park near your room

How Romantic

to propose
114 3.5
to court
  • Formal
36 4.2
to woo
44 4.6
to date
1.3
to flirt
267 3.1

Surface Forms

court infinitive
courted past
courted past participle
courting present participle
courts third person singular

Etymology

Court as a verb for romance grew from the same idea of attending a ruler's court to gain favour; over time it came to mean trying to win a person's love. To court someone is to try to become their romantic partner.