courting

American  

[kawr-ting] / ˈkɔr tɪŋ /

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. (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.

4. 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

1. 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.

2. (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

• uncourting
  adjective

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

Adam Miller, who made a fortune on education software, has been courting moderate voters.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The world’s biggest coffee company is now courting some of the splashiest names out there—Taylor Swift, Khloé Kardashian and MrBeast—to help introduce Starbucks to a new generation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

But there have been recent reports of the club courting former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as Guardiola's successor.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Dollar General is growing margins as it modernizes its approach to courting consumers, something that can help it sustain healthy profit growth.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Dunstan Thorn was not in the Seventh Magpie that evening: he was a practical lad, who had, for the last six months, been courting Daisy Hempstock, a young woman of similar practicality.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• allure
• appeal
• attractiveness
• interest