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Synonyms

date rape

American  
[dayt rayp] / ˈdeɪt ˌreɪp /

noun

  1. sexual assault perpetrated by someone who has been in a social situation with the person they assault, such as on a date.


date rape British  

noun

  1. the act or an instance of a man raping a woman while they are on a date together

  2. an act of sexual intercourse regarded as tantamount to rape, esp if the woman was encouraged to drink excessively or was subjected to undue pressure

"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

date rape Idioms  
  1. Sexual intercourse forced by the victim's social escort. For example, Date rape is much more common on college campuses than was previously realized. This term originated in the 1980s, when awareness of the phenomenon increased exponentially.


Etymology

Origin of date rape

First recorded in 1980–85


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.

See Examples For:

Ms. would become known for spirited, frank coverage of subjects that were typically only spoken about quietly: workplace and domestic inequalities, domestic violence, homosexuality, racism, date rape.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Ms. Rao had also come under scrutiny over her views and writings on date rape and abortion.

From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2019

Earlier concerns about Rao’s record came primarily from Democrats and civil rights groups and centered on controversial columns she wrote as a student at Yale in the 1990s on topics including date rape and feminism.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 28, 2019

In 1994, she wrote in a Yale student publication about date rape:

From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2019

A good time was had by all who heard it until some who are humor-challenged decided that “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is really a song extolling date rape.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2018

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