Romeo and Juliet

American  

noun

1. a tragedy (produced between 1591 and 1596) by Shakespeare.

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Romeo and Juliet Cultural  

1. A tragedy by William Shakespeare about two “star-crossed lovers” (see also star-crossed lovers) whose passionate love for each other ends in death because of the senseless feud between their families. The line “Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” is well known.

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Figuratively, a “Romeo” is an amorous young man.

Example Sentences

Finnian graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in July 2019 and had previously played the role of Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Other close-ups are less effective—for example, those fixed on the hands and arms of Romeo and Juliet for their “balcony” interlude, where their bare limbs interact in less-than-memorable choreographic configurations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Thompson: The masquerade ball made me think about Romeo and Juliet a lot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

Here is Scottish newsreader Mary Marquis as Juliet in a 1955 production of Romeo and Juliet.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

Today they were supposed to be discussing Romeo and Juliet, but nobody wanted to talk.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell