English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun

dalliance

DALEERNS

Dalliance (noun) means a brief, playful romance or flirtation, not meant to be serious. Example: “Their summer dalliance never turned into anything more.”

noun
1
A brief, playful romance or flirtation, not meant to be serious.
"Their summer dalliance never turned into anything more."
"The gossip columns hinted at a dalliance between the two stars."
2
Time spent idly or without purpose.
"After months of dalliance, the project finally moved forward."

How to use dalliance

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA short, casual fling — or, more generally, time wasted without getting anything done.

Common pairings
brief dalliance a dalliance with

Word forms

dalliances plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “dalliance” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Their summer _____ never turned into anything more.

Etymology

From dally plus the suffix -ance, ultimately from Old French dalier ("to chat, to flirt").

Origin: Old French

Related words

Rhymes for dalliance

See all rhymes for dalliance →

Frequently asked questions

What does “dalliance” mean?

The word “dalliance” means a brief, playful romance or flirtation, not meant to be serious. In plain terms, a short, casual fling — or, more generally, time wasted without getting anything done.

How do you pronounce “dalliance”?

“Dalliance” is pronounced DALEERNS (/ˈdæli.əns/ in IPA).

How do you use “dalliance” in a sentence?

Here is “dalliance” used in a sentence: “Their summer dalliance never turned into anything more.”

What part of speech is “dalliance”?

“Dalliance” is a noun.

Where does the word “dalliance” come from?

The word “dalliance” comes from Old French. From dally plus the suffix -ance, ultimately from Old French dalier ("to chat, to flirt").

How many meanings does “dalliance” have?

“Dalliance” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a brief, playful romance or flirtation, not meant to be serious.

People also searched

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial