intimacy

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A feeling of closeness and trust between people who know and care about each other well.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable: emotional intimacy. It can follow between or with: intimacy between friends.

   Patterns

   • intimacy between people
   • intimacy with someone

   Years of shared stories created a deep intimacy between the sisters.

   Online messages cannot replace the intimacy of a face-to-face talk.

   He found it hard to build intimacy with new people.

2. 2noununcountableeuphemistic

   Physical or sexual closeness between people.

   Grammar: Often a polite or indirect word for sexual contact: physical intimacy.

   Patterns

   • physical intimacy
   • intimacy with someone

   The couple talked openly about physical intimacy in counseling.

   The film treats intimacy with sensitivity.

3. 3noununcountable

   A cozy, private, friendly quality in a place or event.

   Grammar: Describes the atmosphere: the intimacy of a small cafe.

   Patterns

   • the intimacy of something

   The small theater had an intimacy that large halls lack.

   Candles added to the intimacy of the dinner.

4. 4nounsingularformal

   A very detailed and personal knowledge of a subject or place.

   Grammar: Often followed by with: an intimacy with the city's history.

   Patterns

   • an intimacy with something

   Her intimacy with the local dialect impressed the linguists.

   The guide spoke with intimacy about the old streets.

Word forms

Common combinations

emotional intimacy

Emotional intimacy grows when people share their worries.

physical intimacy

Physical intimacy was never a topic in their old-fashioned household.

build intimacy

Regular shared meals helped the team build intimacy.

a sense of intimacy

Soft music gave the room a sense of intimacy.

fear of intimacy

A fear of intimacy can keep people from forming close bonds.

Synonyms and how they differ

closeness

Closeness is the plainer everyday word and may refer to physical nearness, whereas intimacy centers on emotional trust.

familiarity

Familiarity just means knowing something or someone well, with less warmth than intimacy.

warmth

Warmth describes friendly feeling, while intimacy requires a deeper, personal bond.

rapport

Rapport means easy understanding between people, which can be quick and professional, while intimacy takes time and trust.

Opposites

Word family

intimate adjective

close, private, or very personal

intimately adverb

in a very close or personal way

intimate noun

a very close friend

intimation noun

a hint, which is a different word with the same Latin root

Commonly confused: intimacy or intimidation?

Practice

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