courting
Americannoun
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the act or process of trying to win the favor or attention of a person or group.
He seems to understand the importance of social issues for youth, judging by his recent courting of young people to bring them into Russian politics.
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the act of seeking or cultivating someone’s love or affection; wooing.
Soon after landing the job, he stepped up his courting of the beautiful Dorothy, who was also being pursued by someone else.
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(of animals) the act or process of attempting to attract a mate by engaging in certain species-specific behaviors.
The chilly air blowing through the cracks in the wall, and the audible courting of peeper frogs, made it hard to doze off.
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the act of behaving in such a manner as to cause or lead to a specified result.
In a particularly nerve-wracking courting of disaster, he climbed the mountain alone in winter using a completely untried route.
adjective
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seeking or cultivating the love or affection of another person or of each other.
Covered bridges were known as "kissing bridges," as courting couples were prone to stop and steal a kiss while hidden from view inside.
-
(of animals) attempting to attract a mate.
Courting petrels make a henlike clucking and thrust their heads back as far as they can.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of courting
First recorded in 1575–85; court ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; court ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Courting customers with cash to pay for perks has been a critical part of Delta’s business model.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Courting the female vote, the state’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made the dry law a bedrock of his re-election campaign and signed the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act in 2016.
From Salon • Feb. 2, 2025
As part of its Courting Greatness campaign, Reebok has collaborated with L.A. artist Rick Dove, who created an interactive hoop installation to celebrate the career of former Laker Shaquille O’Neal.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2021
Courting Story figures to be at the top of Schmidt’s to-do list.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2021
“Wil’s more polite than I am. I’m betting you’ve been spending all your free hours walking to Imre and back. Courting some fabulously attractive young bard.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
