# intimacy

/ˈɪntəməsi/ (US) · /ˈɪntɪməsi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/intimacy
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. emotional closeness

noun · CEFR B2

a feeling of being very close to someone and being able to share your private thoughts with them.

For teachers: a state of close emotional connection and mutual understanding between individuals.

- The long walk by the lake allowed for a rare moment of intimacy between the two friends.
- True emotional intimacy requires a level of vulnerability that many people find difficult to achieve even in long-term partnerships.

### 2. physical or romantic closeness

noun · CEFR B2

a close romantic or sexual relationship with another person.

For teachers: the state of being in a private, often sexual or romantic, relationship.

- They struggled to maintain their intimacy while working in different cities.
- The film explores the complexities of physical intimacy and how it evolves over decades of marriage.

### 3. private details

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

private or personal details about someone's life.

For teachers: private or personal information, often shared in confidence. Usually used in the plural form.

- After a few glasses of wine, they began to share the small intimacies of their childhoods.
- The biographer was criticised for revealing the private intimacies of the poet's life without the family's consent.

Usage: Often used in the plural form 'intimacies'.

## Examples

- The couple shared a moment of quiet intimacy.
- Long-distance relationships often struggle because it is difficult to maintain emotional intimacy through a screen.
- The biographer was praised for capturing the quiet intimacy of the artist's domestic life without resorting to sensationalism or invading the family's privacy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.