Trivia Time

Which fictional character is known for having a clumsy romantic approach?

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approach

American  

[uh-prohch] / əˈproʊtʃ /

verb (used with object)

• approaches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• approached,
  past participle,  past
• approaching
  present participle

1. to come near or nearer to.

   The cars slowed down as they approached the intersection.

   Synonyms:

   near

2. to come near to in quality, character, time, or condition; to come within range for comparison.

   As a poet he hardly approaches Keats.

3. to present, offer, or make a proposal or request to.

   to approach the president with a suggestion.

4. to begin work on; set about.

   to approach a problem.

5. to make advances to; address.

6. to bring near to something.

   Antonyms:

   withdraw

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verb (used without object)

• approaches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• approached,
  past participle,  past
• approaching
  present participle

1. to come nearer; draw near.

   A storm is approaching.

2. to come near in character, time, amount, etc.; approximate.

noun

• approaches
  plural

1. the act of drawing near.

   the approach of a train.

2. nearness or close approximation.

   a fair approach to accuracy.

3. any means of access, as a road or ramp.

   the approaches to a city.

4. the method used or steps taken in setting about a task, problem, etc..

   His approach to any problem was to prepare an outline.

5. the course to be followed by an aircraft in approaching for a landing or in joining a traffic pattern.

   The plane's approach to the airport was hazardous.

6. Sometimes approaches. a presentation, offer, or proposal.

7. Military. approaches, works for protecting forces in an advance against a fortified position.

8. Also called approach shot.  Golf. a stroke made after teeing off, by which a player attempts to get the ball onto the putting green.

9. Bowling.

   1. the steps taken and the manner employed in delivering the ball.

      He favors a four-step approach.

   2. Also called runway.  the area behind the foul line, from which the ball is delivered.

approach British  

/ əˈprəʊtʃ /

verb

1. to come nearer in position, time, quality, character, etc, to (someone or something)

2. (tr) to make advances to, as with a proposal, suggestion, etc

3. (tr) to begin to deal with

   to approach a problem

4. rare (tr) to cause to come near

---

noun

1. the act of coming towards or drawing close or closer

2. a close approximation

3. the way or means of entering or leaving; access

4. (often plural) an advance or overture to a person

5. a means adopted in tackling a problem, job of work, etc

6. Also called: approach path.  the course followed by an aircraft preparing for landing

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• approacher
  noun
• reapproach
  verb
• approachless
  adjective
• unapproached
  adjective
• unapproaching
  adjective
• well-approached
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• approaches
  plural

Participles

• approaching
  present
• approached
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• approach
  simple
• approaches
  simple
• have approached
  perfect
• has approached
  perfect
• am approaching
  progressive
• are approaching
  progressive
• is approaching
  progressive
• have been approaching
  perfect progressive
• has been approaching
  perfect progressive

Past

• approached
  simple
• had approached
  perfect
• was approaching
  progressive
• were approaching
  progressive
• had been approaching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will approach
  simple
• will have approached
  perfect
• will be approaching
  progressive
• will have been approaching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of approach

First recorded in 1275–1325; (verb) Middle English a(p)prochen, from Old French aprochier, from Late Latin adpropiāre “to draw near,” equivalent to ad- “to” and propiāre “to draw near,” derivative of Latin propius “nearer” (comparative of prope “near”), replacing Latin appropinquāre; (noun) late Middle English approche, derivative of the verb; see ad- ( def. ), propinquity ( def. )

Explanation

To approach is to get near something. An airplane is cleared for a final approach just as the wheels approach the landing strip. Approach comes from the Latin word appropriare which means "go nearer to." You can physically approach something, like a waiter going to a table. Or, you can approach a subject, usually one you're a little nervous about — like a new employee might approach her boss about getting a raise. Time can also approach, like winter, midnight, or even old age.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

approach approaches approached approaching

Despite the promising results, the approach remains preclinical.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

“At the same time, we recognize that the evaluation approach and the reasons for these additional measures could have been communicated more clearly,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

"This is exactly the kind of neighbourhood approach we want to see more of across Surrey and Sussex," she said.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

“While we continue to navigate some challenging dynamics, we are taking a prudent approach with our revised full-year outlook,” Meghan Frank, Lululemon’s interim co-CEO and chief financial officer, said in the company’s earnings release.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

I close the door and approach his desk.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

For Macron the visit is significant as he approaches the final months of his presidential term, set to end May 2027.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

It could mean that the government's choices on what it wants to spend are constrained as the Budget approaches.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

But as the winter approaches, “competition between the two regions is likely to pick up, particularly if Qatari LNG remains largely absent from the market through year-end.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Others involved interactive in-person group meetings or hybrid approaches that combined face-to-face activities with online tools and virtual sessions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

I scramble to retrieve my phone from my backpack as an officer approaches the car.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

The BBC has approached the office of Minnesota's top prosecutor for comment.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

The NBA had just shut down due to the global pandemic when a star player’s business manager approached the Los Angeles Clippers with an unusual demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

The two have worked with the artist since 2009, and in previous presentations he approached the conception and installation as a kind of director.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

The IBM and University of Chicago team approached this verification problem by developing a more structured alternative to RCS.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

Soon the rhythmic thud of hoofbeats on earth alerted them that another carriage approached.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

“The combination of record account balances, strong savings behaviors and effective plan design tell an encouraging story about how Americans are approaching retirement,” said Sharon Brovelli, president of Workplace Investing at Fidelity Investments.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

A spokesman for Snap said the company’s revenue grew 19% year-over-year in the most recent quarter, and was approaching one billion monthly active users.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Instead, the documentary homes in on John Paul’s unsavory behavior, approaching the story from Mica’s vantage point.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

What had been a tight match quickly ran away from Djokovic and became a difficult watch for the thousands still inside Ashe with local time fast approaching midnight.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

When we come to the main road, we see a camel rider approaching from the direction of the eastbound caravan settlement.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

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