intimate

²in·ti·mate

adj \ˈin-tə-mət\

Definition of INTIMATE

1

a : intrinsic, essential b : belonging to or characterizing one's deepest nature

2

: marked by very close association, contact, or familiarity <intimate knowledge of the law>

3

a : marked by a warm friendship developing through long association <intimate friends> b : suggesting informal warmth or privacy <intimate clubs>

4

: of a very personal or private nature <intimate secrets>

— in·ti·mate·ly adverb

— in·ti·mate·ness noun

Examples of INTIMATE

1. They remained intimate friends throughout their lives.
2. They are in an intimate and committed relationship.
3. The dining room is plush and intimate, set off by some of the most extravagant floral arrangements in the city. —Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, 31 Mar. 2009
4. When a little-known writer undertakes a manifesto—a statement, after all, of sober purpose and principle—it is likely also to be a cri de coeur, and its reasoned argument will derive from the intimate wounds of autobiography. —Cynthia Ozick, Harper's, April 2007
5. The company would sit around after dinner in the lavishly plain living room or wander out to the pool for more intimate conversation … —Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987

Origin of INTIMATE

alteration of obsolete intime, from Latin intimus (see ¹intimate)

First Known Use: 1632

Related to INTIMATE

Synonyms: bosom, buddy-buddy, chummy, close, especial, friendly, inseparable, familiar, inward, near, thick, tight

Antonyms: distant

Related Words: clannish, close-knit, tight-knit; affable, boon, companionable, convivial, cordial, genial, gracious, hearty; gregarious, sociable, social; comfortable, cozy, easy, snug; amicable, neighborly; confidential, secretive; adoring, affectionate, dear, devoted, fond, loving, tender, tenderhearted, warm

Near Antonyms: aloof, antisocial, cold, cool, detached, distant, frosty, remote, reserved, standoffish, unfriendly, unsociable, withdrawn

see all synonyms and antonyms

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