dalliance

noun

dal·​li·​ance ˈda-lē-ən(t)s 

: an act of dallying: such as

a

: play

especially : amorous play

had dalliances with several women before getting married

b

: frivolous action : trifling

had a brief dalliance with acting

Synonyms

• frolic
• frolicking
• fun
• fun and games
• play
• recreation
• relaxation
• rollicking
• sport

Examples of dalliance in a Sentence

an extremely serious scientist who is not much given to dalliance or idle chitchat

Recent Examples on the Web

Kaia Gerber had a brief dalliance with the bombshell archetype this week. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2024

After a dalliance with a man, she gets swept up in a scheme involving reselling luxury handbags. —The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024

Julia May Jonas’s Vladimir (2022), perhaps the most incendiary of the bunch, presents a wife who tacitly approves of her husband’s dalliances—as long as her own kinky appetites aren’t suppressed. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2024

Jake is always going to have one foot in the danger that birthed their romantic dalliance to begin with. —Andy Andersen, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dalliance

noun

dal·​li·​ance ˈdal-ē-ən(t)s 

1

: play entry 1 sense 2

especially : the act of flirting

2

: action lacking in importance or seriousness

a short dalliance with politics