romantic

American  

[roh-man-tik] / roʊˈmæn tɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of romance; characteristic or suggestive of the world of romance.

   a romantic adventure.

2. not practical; unrealistic; fanciful.

   romantic ideas.

   Synonyms:

   fantastic, imaginative, wild, exaggerated, extravagant

   Antonyms:

   realistic, pragmatic, practical

3. imbued with or dominated by idealism, a desire for adventure, chivalry, etc.

4. characterized by a preoccupation with love or by the idealizing of love or one's beloved.

5. displaying or expressing love or strong affection.

6. ardent; passionate; fervent.

7. Usually Romantic of, relating to, or characteristic of a style of literature and art that subordinates form to content, encourages freedom of treatment, emphasizes imagination, emotion, and introspection, and often celebrates nature, the ordinary person, and freedom of the spirit (contrasted with classical).

8. of or relating to a musical style characteristic chiefly of the 19th century and marked by the free expression of imagination and emotion, virtuosic display, experimentation with form, and the adventurous development of orchestral and piano music and opera.

9. imaginary, fictitious, or fabulous.

   Synonyms:

   unreal, improbable

   Antonyms:

   probable

10. noting, of, or pertaining to the role of a suitor or lover in a play about love.

    the romantic lead.

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noun

• romantics
  plural

1. a romantic person.

2. a romanticist.

3. romantics, romantic ideas, ways, etc.

romantic British  

/ rəʊˈmæntɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, imbued with, or characterized by romance

2. evoking or given to thoughts and feelings of love, esp idealized or sentimental love

   a romantic woman

   a romantic setting

3. impractical, visionary, or idealistic

   a romantic scheme

4. euphemistic imaginary or fictitious

   a romantic account of one's war service

5. (often capital) of or relating to a movement in European art, music, and literature in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by an emphasis on feeling and content rather than order and form, on the sublime, supernatural, and exotic, and the free expression of the passions and individuality

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noun

1. a person who is romantic, as in being idealistic, amorous, or soulful

2. a person whose tastes in art, literature, etc, lie mainly in romanticism; romanticist

3. (often capital) a poet, composer, etc, of the romantic period or whose main inspiration or interest is romanticism

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• romanticalness
  noun
• antiromantic
  adjective
• half-romantic
  adjective
• hyperromantic
  adjective
• nonromantic
  adjective
• post-Romantic
  adjective
• preromantic
  adjective
• proromantic
  adjective
• pseudoromantic
  adjective
• quasi-romantic
  adjective
• semiromantic
  adjective
• superromantic
  adjective
• ultraromantic
  adjective
• unromantic
  adjective
• half-romantically
  adverb
• hyperromantically
  adverb
• nonromantically
  adverb
• pseudoromantically
  adverb
• quasi-romantically
  adverb
• romantically
  adverb
• semiromantically
  adverb
• superromantically
  adverb
• unromantically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• romantics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of romantic

First recorded in 1650–60; from French romantique, derivative of romant romaunt; see -ic

Explanation

If something is romantic, it isn't very practical, like the librarian's romantic dream of convincing every person in town to read a book a week for life — a great idea that probably isn't possible. To be romantic about something can mean that you overlook its flaws and shortcomings. If your romantic ideal is growing all of your own food on a secluded farm, you are probably ignoring the tremendous amount of hard work it will require. Or, if you are romantic about love, you believe the perfect person is out there and in finding one another, all the problems and difficulties of life will melt away.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

romantic romantics

The pair are far from alone in seeing Scotland as the ultimate romantic destination.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

“There’s nothing more romantic than watching a man forge your birth certificate,” Ms. Britt said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

He had broken off our seven-month relationship the day before, revealing he had never developed “strong romantic feelings” for me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

In the four years since ChatGPT’s breakthrough, generative-text bots have become an unavoidable, discomfiting presence in our most intimate relations—friendships, family ties, romantic prospects.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

I never actually considered him as a romantic prospect, because of one fatal flaw.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

For the romantics: Emily Yoffe’s essay “My Husband’s Other Wife” is a poignant ode to her husband’s first wife, who died of breast cancer tragically young.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

But Venegas’ parents were artists above all — photographers specifically, a trade now plied by Yvonne — and as such, romantics at heart and in practice.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

He's an unlikely music sensation, whose rootsy songs of restlessness and belonging captured TikTok's Gen Z romantics.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

They could even create different endings for different kinds of fan: a happy ending for the romantics and a tear-jerker for those who appreciate a good tragedy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

“If by romantic you mean solitary and introspective,” I said, “I think romantics are frequently the best classicists.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• adventurous
• amorous
• charming
• colorful
• corny
• dreamy
• erotic
• exciting
• exotic
• fanciful
• fantastic
• fascinating
• glamorous
• maudlin
• mysterious
• nostalgic
• passionate
• tender
• utopian
• whimsical