rom-com

noun

ˈräm-ˌkäm 

plural rom-coms

: romantic comedy

That's where the rom-com comes in, that wayward genre of sweet serendipity and forgivably thin plots set to rising music …

—Vogue

One of the film's pleasures is its movie within a movie, the rom-com "I Love You, I Love New York."

—Tad Friend

—often used before another noun

a silly rom-com plot

Does anybody cry funnier than Segel does in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the wonderful rom-com farce he not only starred in but wrote?

—Jim Windolf

Examples of rom-com in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The rom-com adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s novel reached 36 million viewers in its first 12 days, and boosted the careers of stars Ella Bright, Belmont Cameli, Stephen Kalyn and Mika Abdalla. — Matt Minton, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026

All three of Sharon’s star vehicles — The Fearless Vampire Killers, beach rom-com Don’t Make Waves and cult classic Valley of the Dolls — debuted in 1967. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

In Will Gluck’s new rom-com, Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro star as two singles who meet during the one night a year that single people are allowed to have sex. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026

This week’s run of shows and movies include a grisly House of the Dragon finale, an exciting new horror from Jane Schoenbrun, a rom-com with a devious catch, and the return of Ted Lasso. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rom-com

• aplomb
• balaam
• begam
• cocom
• embalm
• islam
• pogrom
• salaam
• sitcom
• balm
• bom
• bomb