Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to two-time

to two-time

19 7.4
Have a romantic relationship with two people at the same time without them knowing
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈtuːˌtaɪm/
  • NSFW
translation icon : poner los cuernos a
  • She discovered that he was two-timing her with another woman.

Examples

  • Because he had him pegged right away for a two-timing, double-crossing rat.

    The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)

  • I'm two-timing Jerry.

    The Golden Boys (2008)

  • It's hard to trust someone who two-times their partners.

  • After finding out that he was two-timing her, she felt heartbroken.

Synonyms

two-timing
vsto two-time
  • NSFW
16 8.0

Having a secret romantic or sexual relationship with someone else while you have a partner

is secret involvement with two people at once rather than a single extra affair
sleeping around
vsto two-time
  • NSFW
9 9.1

Having sex with many different people without a steady partner

is secret involvement with two people at once rather than general casual sex
to philander
vsto two-time
  • NSFW
1 9.3

A man who has casual sexual or romantic relationships with many women without wanting a serious relationship

is secret involvement with two people at once rather than general casual relations
to bed-hop
vsto two-time
  • NSFW
9.9

To have sex with many different people in a short time

is secret simultaneous involvement with two people rather than rapid casual encounters

How Faithful

to cheat on
  • NSFW
323 3.3
to two-time
  • NSFW
19 7.4

Surface Forms

two-time infinitive
two-timed past
two-timed past participle
two-timing present participle
two-times third person singular

Morphology

two-time = two + time (semi-transparent) = two + time

The parts 'two' and 'time' are obvious, but the idiomatic meaning 'to be unfaithful to someone by being involved with two people' is not fully predictable from the literal components for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Two-time comes from the parts two ('two') and time ('period'), creating a clear image of a person with two people during the same time. So to two-time someone is to secretly date or 'cheat' on them by having two romantic partners without their knowledge.