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dalliance

American  
[dal-ee-uhns, dal-yuhns] / ˈdæl i əns, ˈdæl yəns /

noun

  1. a trifling away of time; dawdling.

  2. amorous toying; flirtation.

dalliance British  
/ ˈdælɪəns /

noun

  1. waste of time in frivolous action or in dawdling

  2. an archaic word for flirtation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dalliance

First recorded in 1300–50, dalliance is from the Middle English word daliaunce. See dally, -ance

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.

A “dalliance” with car washes, the letter said, eroded investor trust and cost Driven shareholders money.

From The Wall Street Journal

It turned out to be nothing but a brief dalliance for the couple, who struggled with the area’s punishing heat.

From MarketWatch

But this time the restraint isn’t derived from the fear of judgment; it’s borne out of the knowledge that any dalliance with Samuel could have dire consequences.

From Salon

He easily could be starring for top-ranked Texas after a springtime dalliance in which he was courted by the Longhorns during what he described as “a four-day vacation” in the transfer portal.

From Los Angeles Times

All in all, quite a dalliance with the Boys of Summer.

From Los Angeles Times

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.