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.
-
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.
Ten years after the fall of Troy, Odysseus still hasn’t returned home to Ithaca, and his kingdom has been overtaken by suitors crudely courting his wife’s hand.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
I’m looking for a man who sees the value of courting a woman in the first place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Still, marketing professional Harca argued that courting NBA stars has had the biggest impact in the domestic market.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
For now, Big Tech is courting customers by selling an idea of the future.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
Janny spent months courting interventional cardiologists, the doctors who see patients immediately after their heart attacks.
From "Class Matters" by The New York 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.
