Synonyms of dating

dating 1 of 2

noun

as in romance

the series of social engagements shared by a couple looking to get married

their dating had been going on for so long that she was starting to wonder if she'd ever take that trip down the aisle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• romance
• courtship
• courting
• suit
• affair
• lovemaking
• engagement
• wooing
• love affair
• betrothal

dating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of date

1

as in accompanying

to go on a social engagement with

I don't want to date him—I'd rather just be friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accompanying
• going out (with)
• taking out
• escorting
• seeing
• courting
• wooing

2

as in courting

to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage

we dated for two years before we got engaged

Synonyms & Similar Words

• courting
• attending
• romancing
• making love
• keeping company
• going steady
• wooing
• escorting
• seeing
• sparking
• gallanting
• going out
• taking out
• stepping out

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dating

Noun

Looking to the more recent past, 2002’s Water Horse marked the very early years of online dating, and all the stigma that came with it. —Annabel Gat, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026

The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026

Over the last decade or so, Avgitidis said she's seen people burned out by online dating and seeking things a profile alone can't reveal. —Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026

Erika Ettin is the founder of A Little Nudge, a consulting company that helps people navigate the world of online dating, from first click to first date. —Erika Ettin, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026

What, exactly, is the impact of interracial dating? —Dorothy Roberts, Time, 13 Feb. 2026

Some siblings are inseparable, talking daily and sharing even the most TMI dating updates. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 4 Feb. 2026

Guests are guaranteed to speak to at least 10 people and continue the conversations during a singles mixer after the speed dating concludes. —Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026

First dates, blind dates, relationship coaching, speed dating, finding love, and breaking hearts — all of these common human experiences help to normalize an often misunderstood community. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026

Verb

With the Oscars just weeks away on March 15, the long-running gathering — a ritual dating to 1982 and returning this year after being canceled in 2025 because of the Los Angeles County wildfires — offered the nominees a welcome stretch of easygoing mingling, largely free of competition. —Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026

Netflix's reality dating experiment returned with an all-new cast of singles — this time from host Nick Lachey's home state of Ohio — on Wednesday. —Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026

Records about settling down tend to bask in the thrills of leaving dating behind and getting the chance to forge a new life. —Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026

Two of the photos in the dump included her boyfriend Justin Trudeau, whom Perry has been dating since last summer. —Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 11 Feb. 2026

While elementary school Valentine’s Day is easier to navigate than when your child is older and dating, experts say the holiday should remain rather innocent. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 11 Feb. 2026

After arriving, Funes-Zabala learned Alfaro-Alcantara was dating someone else and began arguing with her. —Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026

Be a part of the Love Is Blind Club, a subscriber-only newsletter covering the Netflix reality-TV dating show’s tenth season. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026

The excavation also uncovered later artifacts, including iron and stone cannonballs and lead shot dating to the English Civil War, according to the university. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026