intimacy

Collocations

15

1

(noun.)

ADJ

genuine, real, true | close, deep, great | enforced | emotional, physical, sexual

VERB + INTIMACY

be capable of

After years of therapy, he finally became capable of intimacy in his relationships.

enjoy

The couple enjoyed a special intimacy after years of marriage and shared experiences.

create, promote | develop

destroy

His constant phone checking destroyed the intimacy they had built over many years together.

sense

She sensed an intimacy developing between herself and her new colleague after months of working together.

INTIMACY + VERB

develop

PREP

~ between

A deep intimacy between the two friends developed over many years of sharing secrets.

~ with

After years of working together, the two musicians developed a real intimacy with each other's playing style.

PHRASES

fear of intimacy

Many people struggle with relationships because they have a deep fear of intimacy.

a feeling/sense of intimacy

Definitions

noun

1

Feeling or atmosphere of closeness and openness towards someone else, often but not necessarily involving sexuality.

To adulterous lust the most sacred duties are sacrificed, because, before marriage, men, by a promiscuous intimacy with women, learned to consider love as a selfish gratification—learned to separate it not only from esteem, but from the affection merely built on habit, which mixes a little humanity with it.

1879, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Truth of Intercourse” in Essays, English and American, The Harvard Classics, Volume 28, edited by Charles W. Eliot, New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1910, p. 287, The habitual liar may be a very honest fellow, and live truly with his wife and friends; while another man who never told a formal falsehood in his life may yet be himself one lie—heart and face, from top to bottom. This is the kind of lie which poisons intimacy.

2

Intimate relationship.

1787, Robert Burns, Letter to Dr. Moore, 23 April, 1787, in J. Logie Robertson (ed.), The Letters of Robert Burns, Selected and Arranged, with an Introduction, London: Walter Scott, 1887, p. 57, I have formed many intimacies and friendships here, but I am afraid they are all of too tender a construction to bear carriage a hundred and fifty miles.

“I have always thought it a very foolish intimacy,” said Mr. Knightley presently, “though I have kept my thoughts to myself; but I now perceive that it will be a very unfortunate one for Harriet […]”

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — close or warm friendship

noun — a feeling of being intimate and belonging together

closeness

noun — a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

6

01

To adulterous lust the most sacred duties are sacrificed, because, before marriage, men, by a promiscuous intimacy with women, learned to consider love as a selfish gratification—learned to separate i

Wiktionary

02

1879, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Truth of Intercourse” in Essays, English and American, The Harvard Classics, Volume 28, edited by Charles W. Eliot, New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1910, p. 287, The habit

Wiktionary

03

[…] there was keen intimacy between the dog and the man.

Wiktionary

04

Their intimacy grew with the years.

Tatoeba · #305232

05

He spoke of sex in a rather businesslike manner, which was how he tried to avoid talking about his problems with intimacy.

Tatoeba · #717924

06

He often hastens physical intimacy, much to the chagrin of his dates.

Tatoeba · #718012

Collocations

(noun.)

Definitions

Thesaurus

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

Usage Notes

Your note