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intimacy

intimacy

32 6.7
A secret sexual relationship between two people
  • noun
  • /ˈɪntɪməsi/
  • NSFW
translation icon : aventura amorosa
  • After years of secrecy, they finally admitted their intimacy was more than just a passing fling.
  • sexual intimacy
  • gay intimacy
  • fear of intimacy

And the bottom line is for these men, the intimacy is just physical pleasure.

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Examples

  • Call me old-fashioned, but I place value on physical intimacy.

  • They agreed that Smith would use birth control pills and that their sexual intimacy would cease if Smith stopped using birth control.

  • And the bottom line is for these men, the intimacy is just physical pleasure.

  • We had a few drinks in your room... and a certain intimacy took place.

  • Great sex does not equal intimacy.

  • Maybe he's resentful because he has an issue with a lack of sexual intimacy in the relationship.

  • A true friendship with a man is not possible without physical intimacy and his beloved and lover.

  • The daughter is overcome with jealousy at the sight of the intimacy between the prisoner and her father.

    Academic text (1995)
  • And it's like if you have to withhold sex and intimacy, you're hurting yourself as well.

  • Aaron is fearing engulfment and intimacy.

Synonyms

affair
vsintimacy
  • NSFW
837 4.4

A secret sexual relationship often involving a married person and someone else

is neutral about marital status and focuses on secretiveness generally
sexual relationship
vsintimacy
  • NSFW
94 3.2

A relationship between two people who have sex with each other

usually implies the sexual connection is secret or illicit rather than public
intrigue
vsintimacy
57 8.6

A romantic relationship that people keep secret

is the general secret sexual link without the sense of plotting
love affair
vsintimacy
  • NSFW
46 3.6

A secret romantic or sexual relationship between two people

is the broader term highlighting secrecy without stressing romance specifically
involvement
vsintimacy
  • NSFW
44 7.5

A secret sexual relationship often with someone outside marriage

is the main general word for a hidden sexual link rather than a subtype
liaison
vsintimacy
  • NSFW
14 7.3

A secret sexual relationship between two people, often when one is married

is the wide term for a hidden sexual link without marriage focus
amour
vsintimacy
  • Literature
5 9.3

A secret romantic relationship, often with someone who is married

is the neutral general word without literary or romantic coloring
affaire
vsintimacy
  • NSFW
9.2

A secret romantic or sexual relationship between two people

is the general label for a secret sexual link rather than a named type

Compounds

5.7

Close physical contact that reduces the risk of infections and health problems

How Committed

marriage
1.0
relationship
1.8
intimacy
  • NSFW
32 6.7
fling
  • NSFW
57 4.6
one-night stand
  • NSFW
36 6.3
pickup
  • NSFW
19 8.2

Surface Forms

intimacy singular
intimacies plural

Morphology

intimacy = intimate (semi-transparent) = intimate + cy

Formally derived from 'intimate' + '-cy', but the specialized sense 'sexual/illicit relationship' is a narrowed, culturally specific meaning not fully predictable from the adjective for all learners.

Etymology

Intimacy comes from the Latin word intimus, meaning 'inmost' or 'closest', and is the same basic idea behind the English word intimate. So, because it points to something private and very near to a person, intimacy can mean a secret or personal relationship between two people.