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.
For her, the song gave voice to both sides of avoidant attachment: the fear that can make love feel unbearable, and the confusion felt by the partner left behind.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But at least for now, there appear to be fewer people wondering what hope any of us have since #Klaygan couldn’t make love work.
From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2026
Precarious and uncertain times make love stories even more seductive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2025
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
But it took two to make a renunciation, just as it took two to make love, or to make a quarrel.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
