make love
Idioms-
Court, engage in amorous caressing, as in Romance was in the air, and she hoped he would make love to her . [Late 1500s]
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Have sexual intercourse, as in They'd been making love well before they married . This usage today is the more common of the two. [Mid-1900s]
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.
Precarious and uncertain times make love stories even more seductive.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025
Sea fog and cloud obscure any view of Taiwan, but still, they line up to take photographs at a strategically placed stone arch, using their arms to make love heart signs above their heads.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2024
In “Jewish Matchmaking,” professional Cupid Aleeza Ben Shalom attempts to make love connections for Jewish singles in both the United States and Israel.
From Seattle Times • May 3, 2023
Providing a venue for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to date and make love connections is not without its complications.
From Washington Post • Jun. 4, 2019
They do make love stories for girls with black hearts after all.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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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.