Romeo and Juliet

American  

noun

1. a tragedy (produced between 1591 and 1596) by Shakespeare.

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Romeo and Juliet Cultural  

1. A tragedy by William Shakespeare about two “star-crossed lovers” (see also star-crossed lovers) whose passionate love for each other ends in death because of the senseless feud between their families. The line “Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” is well known.

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Figuratively, a “Romeo” is an amorous young man.

Example Sentences

Russell Kane is due to make his theatre debut in a "striking new take" on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet later this year.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Other close-ups are less effective—for example, those fixed on the hands and arms of Romeo and Juliet for their “balcony” interlude, where their bare limbs interact in less-than-memorable choreographic configurations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

He has previously played the role of Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and appeared in the BBC television hospital series Casualty.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Thompson: The masquerade ball made me think about Romeo and Juliet a lot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

"Well, I'm not too crazy about Romeo and Juliet," I said.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger