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

But one romance felt particularly off to her: Maxie’s dalliance with Lucky Spencer, played at the time by Greg Vaughan. —Victoria Edel, People.com, 13 May 2025

Those dalliances cemented her abiding love of tweed, sailor stripes, cashmere knits, and—thanks to the indulgent Duke—gigantic love jewels, worn in rule-breaking multiples. —Steff Yotka, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025

Like Beethoven, Tharp creates a utilitarian theme as a jumping-off point for mostly jovial dalliances between gaggles of dancers and a rather pleasant power struggle between the dancers, pianist Vladimir Rumyantsev, who plays live from the orchestra pit — and the audience. —Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025

Last week, protesters demonstrated outside hundreds of Tesla locations; Musk has long been erratic, but his dalliance with DOGE has alienated environmentally conscious liberals, a major demographic for electric vehicles. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2025

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