tryst

American  

[trist, trahyst] / trɪst, traɪst /

noun

1. an appointment to meet at a certain time and place, especially one made somewhat secretly by lovers.

   Synonyms:

   rendezvous, assignation

2. an appointed meeting.

   Synonyms:

   rendezvous, assignation

3. an appointed place of meeting.

   Synonyms:

   rendezvous

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verb (used with object)

1. Chiefly Scot. to make an appointment or arrange a meeting with.

verb (used without object)

1. Chiefly Scot. to make an appointment or agreement.

tryst British  

/ traɪst, trɪst /

noun

1. an appointment to meet, esp secretly

2. the place of such a meeting or the meeting itself

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verb

1. (intr) to meet at or arrange a tryst

Usage

What does tryst mean? A tryst is an appointment made to meet at a specific place and time, especially one made in secret by lovers, as in The two employees arranged a tryst for meeting secretly after work. Tryst is also the meeting itself or the place where the meeting will happen, as in Paul snuck out of his room and headed to the tryst. Uncommonly, tryst can be used as a verb to mean to plan a meeting, as in Romeo and Juliet met outside the balcony and secretly trysted.   Example: The married businessman denied all accusations that he had had a secret tryst with one of his female business partners.

Other Word Forms

• tryster noun

Etymology

Origin of tryst

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English triste “appointed hunting-station,” from Old French, from Germanic; compare Gothic trausti “agreement, arrangement,” akin to Middle English trist “confidence,” Old English tryst (unrecorded); see trow, trust

Explanation

A meeting is when people get together for any reason. But when they are sneaking to meet, notably as secret lovers, it's called a tryst. The origin of the word tryst comes from Middle English, and originally referred to a designated hunting station. Today it has come to refer to mainly romantic meetings, often with a secretive feel to it. (That's appropriate — aren’t we all hunting for love?) The word tryst might also suggest a hint of danger or intrigue. Perhaps the most romantic tryst in literature was the meeting between Romeo and Juliet — and just look where they ended up!

Example Sentences

I didn’t understand it all until my Xiaomi tryst.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

What made Mumbai's tryst with Art Deco particularly interesting was how the city embraced its hallmarks in a truly all-encompassing manner.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

Was it because she was left out of the truth of Aimee’s disappearance, mourning her death while her daughter was off on a tryst?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025

Two Latin pop songwriters who thrive on breakup drama — Karol G, from Colombia, and Romeo Santos, a stadium-scale headliner from the Bronx with Dominican roots — arrange a last tryst in “X Si Volvemos.”

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2023

There were days on end, of course, when Kit could not manage to keep the tryst.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Related Words

• assignation
• rendezvous