romantically

IPA/rəʊˈmæntɪkli/
KK[romˈæntɪkəli]IPA/rəʊˈmæntɪkli/

romantically — adverb

1. with words, actions, or gestures that show love or treat someone as a possible l

1.adverbB1
Definition

with words, actions, or gestures that show love or treat someone as a possible lover or close partner

Example

Paloma spoke romantically about the night Darius first kissed her.

speak romantically about a love memory

Hoa looked at Minho romantically across the train station cafe.

Common collocations
  • speak romantically about
  • look at someone romantically
  • write romantically
  • decorate romantically
Synonyms
  • lovingly

    broader and warmer; it can describe family care as well as romantic feeling

  • affectionately

    lighter and less strongly tied to dating or sexual attraction

  • tenderly

    focuses on gentleness more than on lover-like feeling

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

speak romantically about + person/event

look at + person + romantically

write/decorate + romantically

Usage Note

Usually goes with actions that show attraction or couple-like feeling, such as looking, speaking, writing, or arranging something for another person. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about the emotional effect of a place or scene rather than direct love between people.

Common Mistakes

The beach looked romantically at sunset.
The beach looked romantic at sunset.
after linking verbs like 'looked', use the adjective 'romantic', not the adverb 'romantically'.

2. in a beautiful, dreamy way that gives a place, scene, or memory a strong emotion

2.adverbB2
Definition

in a beautiful, dreamy way that gives a place, scene, or memory a strong emotional charm

Example

The travel film shows the harbour romantically at sunrise with quiet boats.

present a place romantically on film

Eshe remembered the old theatre romantically, with gold dust in the air.

Common collocations
  • describe romantically
  • present romantically
  • remember romantically
  • photograph romantically
Synonyms
  • poetically

    focuses more on graceful wording than on emotional atmosphere

  • dreamily

    suggests a softer, more private mood and can describe a person's manner

  • picturesquely

    focuses on visual beauty and is less emotional than romantically

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

show/present + place + romantically

remember + place/time + romantically

photograph + scene + romantically

Usage Note

Common with descriptions of scenery, films, memories, or travel writing. It suggests beauty, mood, and emotional pull, but it does not necessarily mean that two people are in love.

Common Mistakes

She spoke romantically to the camera about the bridge.
She described the bridge romantically to the camera.
in this sense, the adverb usually describes how a place or scene is presented, not how a person directly speaks to someone.

3. with too much faith in dreams and feelings and too little attention to real diff

3.adverbC1
Definition

with too much faith in dreams and feelings and too little attention to real difficulties or facts

Example

Nikhil spoke romantically about quitting his job and sailing forever.

speak romantically about a plan while ignoring reality

The mayor viewed the old factory romantically, ignoring its leaking roof.

Common collocations
  • think romantically about
  • speak romantically about
  • view romantically
  • romantically imagine
Synonyms
  • idealistically

    can be positive and principle-based, while romantically more often suggests naivety

  • naively

    more directly critical and focused on lack of experience

  • dreamily

    lighter in tone and less clearly critical about real-world limits

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

think/speak romantically about + noun

view + thing/life + romantically

romantically imagine + clause

Usage Note

Often has a critical tone. It is commonly used when someone talks about work, travel, history, or country life as if the difficult parts did not exist. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about emotional beauty rather than mistaken judgment.

Common Mistakes

She checked the business plan romantically and carefully.
She checked the business plan carefully but not realistically.
in this sense, 'romantically' suggests dreamy, impractical thinking, not simple care.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Romantically' in sense 1 frames an action through the lens of attraction between possible or actual lovers. 'Lovingly' is broader and warmer: a parent can smile lovingly at a child, so it does not automatically suggest romance. 'Affectionately' is lighter still and often suits friendship or family warmth. 'Flirtatiously' points to playful signals of attraction, especially at an early stage, and can sound less sincere than 'romantically'. If Paloma speaks romantically about a kiss, the focus is on love feeling or couple interest. If she speaks lovingly, the focus is gentle care. If she speaks flirtatiously, she is teasing or inviting attention rather than expressing deep feeling.

romantically ↗lovingly ↗affectionately ↗flirtatiously ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English from 'romantic' and the adverb ending '-ally'. 'Romantic' came into English through French from earlier words linked to the medieval Romance languages and stories written in them. Over time, the word developed ideas of love, emotional beauty, and imaginative idealism, and 'romantically' carried those meanings into adverb use.

First known use

1660

1660, in the meaning defined above