lovemaking

noun

ˈləv-ˌmā-kiŋ How to pronounce lovemaking (audio)
Definition of lovemakingnext
1
as in sex
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis does not allow her young daughter to watch any films in which lovemaking is shown, however discreetly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in dating
the series of social engagements shared by a couple looking to get married a series of Rococo paintings in which the lovemaking of French aristocrats is depicted with erotic playfulness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lovemaking This arrangement might seem ill-suited for lovemaking, but surprisingly, the male simply reached across the barrier and got busy. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026 This is a broad category of misbehaviors, ranging from excessive public displays of affection to actual lovemaking on the plane. — Christopher Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026 Inside, storylines followed a formula with frequently dire consequences for the twisted woman who dared indulge in, by today’s standards, some pretty tame lovemaking. — Trish Bendix august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025 The 118 arrives, interrupting the lovemaking and rescuing Archie, who is (physically) unscathed. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lovemaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lovemaking
  1. intercourse
  2. dating
  3. mating
  4. romance
  5. relations
  6. courtship
Noun
  • After intercourse, the teenager had snapped photos of her naked body on a futon as evidence.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026
  • The two counts of rape Høiby was convicted of did not involve intercourse.
    — Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Definition of intercourse
Noun
  • And, like everything in modern dating, this phenomenon of going on budget-friendly dates has spawned a new term.
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers were then allowed, as a special case, to take microsamples of pigment from two black drawings—one of a bison and one of a human or animal face—for radiocarbon dating.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of dating
Noun
  • Each group of lemurs (called a troop) has a core female group that dominates mating, territory, and resource distribution.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 July 2026
  • Canine transmissible venereal tumor, or CTVT, is a genital cancer that dogs pass to one another during mating.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of mating
Noun
  • But to your brain, romance may look less like affection and more like craving, stress, and reward.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But now that the reception has ended, MARTA should capitalize on some locals’ new romance with transit and keep that spark alive.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of romance
Noun
  • Postwar intellectuals used psychoanalytic ideas in a variety of ways, including to discuss race relations and homosexuality.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Rather, the pivotal transactions, graphed like the peaks and valleys of a volatile stock index, are the relations between men and women.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of relations
Noun
  • When the two begin dating, David’s older brother, the practical-minded Linus (Harrison Ford), tries to break them up, believing their courtship to be bad for the family image.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
  • Crickets and cockroaches have much smaller cerci used to sense vibrations in the air, but Stokes explained that earwigs use their cerci for defense, hunting, mating and courtship.
    — Hannah Smith July 22, Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2026
Definition of courtship

Browse Nearby Words

lovely
lovemaking
lover
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Cite this Entry

“Lovemaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lovemaking. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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