anti-romantic

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Rejecting or mocking romantic ideas about love and life, preferring a plainer, more realistic view.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: an anti-romantic novel, or the film is anti-romantic.

   Patterns

   • anti-romantic about something

   The novel takes an anti-romantic view of marriage.

   He was anti-romantic and thought gifts were wasteful.

   The poem's anti-romantic tone surprised readers.

2. 2adjectivenot comparablespecialist

   Opposed to the Romantic movement in art and literature, which emphasized emotion and nature.

   Grammar: Used before a noun: an anti-romantic reaction.

   Some critics saw the poet as anti-romantic.

   The anti-romantic movement valued reason over emotion.

   An anti-romantic reaction followed the Romantic age.

Word forms

Common combinations

an anti-romantic view

She holds an anti-romantic view of love.

an anti-romantic novel

It is an anti-romantic novel about a failed marriage.

anti-romantic tone

The anti-romantic tone made the film feel honest.

anti-romantic stance

His anti-romantic stance annoyed his date.

Synonyms and how they differ

unromantic

Unromantic describes something lacking romance, while anti-romantic implies deliberate opposition.

cynical

Cynical means distrusting motives generally, not only about love.

realistic

Realistic is neutral and approving, whereas anti-romantic is firmly against romantic ideas.

hard-headed

Hard-headed describes a practical person, not necessarily one who opposes romance.

Opposites

Word family

romantic adjective

relating to love or idealizing life

romance noun

a love affair or an adventurous quality

romanticism noun

an artistic movement stressing emotion

romanticize verb

to make seem more appealing than reality

Commonly confused: anti-romantic or unromantic?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “anti-romantic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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