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

There’s his erratic online behavior, his promotion of conspiracy theories on X, his far-right-wing dalliances, and his recent decision to go all-in on one side of a divisive presidential election. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024

Every tabletop gamer has had a dalliance with a trading card game or two. —Rob Wieland, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

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

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