endearment

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Act of endearing

Nouns

1. endearment, caress; fondling, billing and cooing, hand-holding, nuzzling, embrace, kiss, buss, smack, peck, osculation. Informal, first base, noogie, French kiss, passion kiss, soul kiss, kissyface, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, tongue wrestling. See flattery, feeling, sex.

2. courtship, affections, wooing, suit, addresses, advances, liberties; amour, lovemaking, petting; flirting, flirtation, dalliance, gallantry; coquetry; computer dating, personal ad, personals; wolf whistle. Informal, spooning, hanky-panky. Slang, come-on, pass, snow job; necking, smooching, queening, rottenlogging. See love.

3. (symbol of love) lover's knot, love token, love letter; billet-doux, valentine.

4. affair, liaison, tryst, rendezvous, assignation; blind date, double date; engagement, betrothal, marriage; honeymoon.

5. suitor, swain, beau, blade, belle; flirt, coquette, femme fatale; philanderer, lover, Don Juan, Casanova, ladies' man; paramour; Mr. Right. Informal, loverboy, ladykiller, smoothie. Slang, vamp, gold-digger; wolf, sheik, make-out artist, stud, cockteaser. See male, female.

6. (terms of love) pet name; dear, darling, sweetheart, precious, love, honey, honeybunch, pet, dollface, etc. Informal, sweet talk. Slang, sweet nothings.

7. lovers' lane, singles bar. Slang, passion pit, meat rack.

Verbs

1. caress, fondle, pet; cosset, coddle, make much of; cherish, foster; hold hands; clasp, hug, cuddle, nuzzle, snuggle, fall all over, enfold, fold in one's arms, nestle; embrace, kiss, buss, smack. Slang, sample, pucker up, play tonsil hockey, smash mouth, suck or eat face, swap spit, snog, mush, paw.

2. make love, bill and coo, pet; toy, dally, flirt, coquet, philander; court, gallivant, squire, woo, pay addresses; set one's cap for, be sweet on; ogle, cast sheep's eyes on, make eyes at; pop the question. Informal, pitch woo, spark, spoon, make time. Slang, smooch, neck, make out, play footsie; make a pass at, hit on, make a play for, put the make or move on, cop a feel, grease.

3. fall in love with; propose, pop the question; plight one's troth. Informal, hit it off. Slang, string along.

Adjectives

1. endearing, winsome, lovable, kissable, affectionate, caressing; come-hither.

2. lovesick, lovelorn. Informal, spoony.

3. on the make, on the prowl.

Phrases — a courtship is a man's pursuit of a woman until she catches him.

Quotations — Come live with me and be my love (Christopher Marlowe), Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate (Shakespeare), I wasn't kissing her, I was just whispering in her mouth (Chico Marx).

Antonyms, see detraction, hate.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. attachment, fondness, love; see affection 1 .