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to court

to court

55 4.2
To try to win someone's love, often to form a serious relationship
  • verb
  • /kɔrt/
  • Formal
: 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 woo
vsto court
59 4.6

To try to get someone's love or romantic feelings

aims to win affection specifically with intention of marriage
to chase
vsto court
  • NSFW
26 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 romance
vsto court
23 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

50 4.2

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

Idioms

out of court
  • Specialized
35 3.7

Without going to trial in a court

It is now someone's turn to act or decide

3 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

10 7.4

To get people to listen and enjoy what you say

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

Compounds

∞ 3.1

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

183 3.1

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

court order
  • Formal
135 3.5

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

82 5.0

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

80 3.2

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

court-martial
  • Specialized
78 7.4

A military court that tries soldiers for breaking military rules

68 4.5

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

appeals court
  • Specialized
58 4.4

A court that reviews and decides on cases from lower courts

57 3.2

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

42 1.4

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

A court that deals with illegal acts and decides punishments

day in court
  • Formal
40 5.5

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

superior court
  • Specialized
39 5.3

A court that hears appeals and serious trials

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

An indoor or outdoor area marked with lines for playing basketball

lower court
  • Specialized
33 3.6

A court whose decisions can be reviewed by a higher court

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

family court
  • Formal
31 3.0

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

appellate court
  • Specialized
31 7.4

A court that reviews and can change decisions of lower courts

29 2.7

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

22 5.7

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

20 4.4

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

17 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

13 4.9

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

full-court press
  • Informal
12 5.1

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

12 4.1

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

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

11 3.0

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

trial court
  • Specialized
11 3.7

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

divorce court
  • Formal
10 3.7

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

10 3.2

The middle area of a basketball court near the center line

10 3.8

A place where judges decide legal cases and apply the law

kangaroo court
  • Informal
6 8.8

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

6 5.0

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

5 3.2

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

5 3.1

A place where a judge hears cases and gives decisions

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

probate court
  • Formal
4 7.6

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

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

moot court
  • Jargon
3 7.4

A practice court where law students argue pretend court cases

3 8.3

A formal appearance in court for a hearing

3 2.7

An indoor room with four walls where people play squash

A marked area with a net where people play volleyball

3 7.9

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

2 5.4

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

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

An indoor or outdoor playing area with walls for handball

1 3.9

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

1 7.7

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

1 4.1

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

1 9.9

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

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

1 9.8

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

inferior court
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A court whose decisions a higher court can review and change

1 3.0

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

police court
  • Archaic
1 4.6

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

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

tourist court
  • Archaic
1 7.7

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

court plaster
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small sticky patch that covers a minor cut

charter court
  • Formal
1 8.1

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

court tennis
  • Literature
1 9.9

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

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

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

The royal court where the king or queen accepts foreign ambassadors

provost court
  • Archaic
1 9.9

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

1 3.4

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

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

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

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

How Romantic

to propose
210 3.5
to court
  • Formal
55 4.2
to woo
59 4.6
to date
∞ 1.3
to flirt
253 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.