Meaning & use
romantic entanglement
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Meaning
nouncountable
A complicated or secret romantic relationship, often one that causes problems for the people involved.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a romantic entanglement' or 'romantic entanglements'.
Patterns
- a romantic entanglement with someone
- have a romantic entanglement
- become involved in a romantic entanglement
The politician denied any romantic entanglement with his assistant.
She ended the romantic entanglement before it could hurt her family.
Their romantic entanglement became the talk of the office.
Word forms
| plural | romantic entanglements |
|---|
Common combinations
- a romantic entanglement with someone
- He was accused of a romantic entanglement with a colleague.
- have a romantic entanglement
- They had a brief romantic entanglement last summer.
- end a romantic entanglement
- She decided to end the romantic entanglement quietly.
- a complicated romantic entanglement
- The novel describes a complicated romantic entanglement between three friends.
Synonyms and how they differ
- affair
- Often suggests a secret sexual relationship, especially one that is disapproved of; 'romantic entanglement' can be less sexual and more about emotional involvement.
- liaison
- A more formal word for a secret sexual relationship; 'romantic entanglement' is broader and can include non-sexual romance.
- relationship
- Neutral and general; 'romantic entanglement' implies complications or secrecy, so it is not a simple synonym.
Word family
- entangle verb
- To involve someone in a difficult or complicated situation.
- entangled adjective
- Involved in a complicated or difficult situation.
- entanglement noun
- The state of being involved in something complicated, or a complicated relationship.
Commonly confused: romantic entanglement or romantic involvement?
romantic entanglement vs romantic involvement
Similar meaning, but 'involvement' is more neutral and does not necessarily suggest complications or secrecy.
Practice
The newspaper reported that the CEO had a secret ______ with a junior employee.
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'a secret romantic entanglement' uses the singular countable noun correctly. 'Romantic entanglements' is plural and would not follow 'a'. 'Romantic entangled' mixes an adjective with a past participle, and 'romantically entanglement' uses an adverb where an adjective is needed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “romantic entanglement”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.