Synonyms of affair

affair

noun

ə-ˈfer 

1

as in romance

also affaire a brief romantic relationship

an affair between two singles spending the summer at the same beach resort

Synonyms & Similar Words

• romance
• fling
• intrigue
• liaison
• love affair
• love
• amour
• dalliance
• infatuation
• flirtation
• entanglement
• attachment
• hanky-panky
• idyll
• passion
• puppy love
• calf-love

2

as in event

a social gathering

the annual country club dance is a really fancy affair

Synonyms & Similar Words

• event
• party
• reception
• celebration
• bash
• blowout
• fete
• shindig
• dance
• gala
• function
• blast
• get-together
• binge
• ball
• formal
• supper
• fund-raiser
• occasion
• do
• benefit
• orgy
• prom
• symposium
• soiree
• masquerade
• bacchanal
• tea
• social
• bacchanalia
• clambake
• cocktail party
• shower
• stag
• tea party
• house party
• saturnalia
• housewarming
• mixer
• salon
• bake
• hen party
• icebreaker
• meet and greet
• kegger
• klatch
• kaffeeklatsch

3

as in production

something produced by physical or intellectual effort

the lead float in the parade was a pretty impressive affair, a giant eagle's head with equally huge wings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• production
• product
• work
• yield
• result
• output
• outcome
• labor
• fruit
• thing
• produce
• handiwork
• resultant
• object
• article
• commodity
• entry
• development
• merchandise
• effect
• aftermath
• issue
• goods
• consequence
• sequence
• wares
• sequel
• conclusion
• outgrowth
• offspring
• upshot
• corollary
• handicraft
• derivative
• offshoot
• line
• side effect
• spin-off
• handcraft
• by-product
• aftereffect
• residual

4

as in incident

something that happens

the whole affair from start to finish took a total of 15 minutes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• event
• incident
• thing
• circumstance
• episode
• occurrence
• occasion
• happening
• accident
• experience
• time
• adventure
• phenomenon
• hap
• coincidence
• crisis
• fluke
• news
• landmark
• page
• emergency
• turning point
• milestone
• freak
• deed
• achievement
• juncture
• happenstance
• feat
• co-occurrence
• tidings
• exploit
• happenchance
• milepost

5

as in matter

something to be dealt with

it's none of your affair whom I'm going out with tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• matter
• thing
• business
• problem
• issue
• crisis
• concern
• worry
• consideration
• emergency
• predicament
• trouble
• ball of wax
• juncture
• responsibility
• exigency
• flash point
• strait
• care
• crunch
• zero hour
• impasse
• deadlock
• hot water
• standstill
• halt
• pickle
• jam
• stalemate
• crossroad(s)
• spot
• head
• fix
• corner
• hole
• lookout
• pinch
• scrape

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of affair

The cakes were mostly straightforward iced and decorated affairs, and were nothing that the man—or more likely the woman—in the street wouldn’t recognize as cake. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026

Buying something nice for a host is a tricky affair—there’s no expectation to spend a lot of money, nor is there one to bring something other than a bottle of wine, really, but the people pleasers among us will resonate with this list. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 15 Sep. 2026

Then the Golden Bears won an ugly affair against Syracuse 21-18, even though they were outgained by nearly 200 yards. — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Black also allegedly confided in Epstein about personal matters, including extramarital affairs that ended in nondisclosure agreements, according to emails released last year. — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing affair

• love affair