star-crossed lovers

¹ Cultural  

1. Lovers whose relationship is doomed to fail are said to be “star-crossed” (frustrated by the stars), because those who believe in astrology claim that the stars control human destiny. William Shakespeare used the phrase to describe the lovers in Romeo and Juliet.

---

star-crossed lovers ² Cultural  

1. A phrase from the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare; Romeo and Juliet are so described in the prologue to the play.

---

Discover More

“Star-crossed lovers” refers to any lovers whose affection for each other is doomed to end in tragedy.

Example Sentences

Their retelling imagines the star-crossed lovers meeting later in life, repositioning the story from a perspective of age and experience, with the title characters aged in their 40s.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Naturally, the star-crossed lovers are torn apart by cultural and racial differences, all while singing and dancing their hearts out.

From Salon • Nov. 28, 2023

And there are the star-crossed lovers flung to their deaths from a castle, now haunting a happier union.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2023

Many of Sarnak’s songs shaped the show’s plot about the star-crossed lovers Lila and Amy.

From New York Times • Mar. 1, 2023

The audience must be sick to death of the star-crossed lovers from District 12.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins