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.

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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.

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“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

Jessica and Erik Berglund, who live in Orange just around where Freeman grew up, are star-crossed lovers in MLB terms, with Jessica bleeding Dodgers blue and Erik cheering on the Angels.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

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

But it was told as a beautiful fairy tale: star-crossed lovers kept apart by powerful forces.

From Slate • Aug. 27, 2023

We star-crossed lovers from District 12, who suffered so much and enjoyed so little the rewards of our victory, do not seek the fans’ favor, grace them with our smiles, or catch their kisses.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins