ENGLISH
REFERENCE

romeo

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɹoʊmiˌoʊ// UK //ɹˈəʊmɪˌəʊ// romeo Informal Vulgar

n. a man who is very romantic or thinks he is great at attracting women. It comes from the famous character in Shakespeare's play, but people often use it today to tease someone who is acting like a lover.

n. a man who is intensely romantic or devoted to a lover; frequently used to describe a man who pursues many romantic relationships. Often used with a touch of irony or as a mild pejorative for someone perceived as overly flirtatious.


SIMPLE

He thinks he is a real Romeo with that new car.

CONTEXTUAL

The office Romeo spent more time chatting with the interns than finishing his quarterly reports.

COMPLEX

While he cultivated the image of a tragic Romeo, his actual relationships were often short-lived and lacked the depth of the literary figure he sought to emulate.

Origin

Borrowed from Italian Romeo, from Ancient Greek Ῥωμαῖος (Rhōmaîos, “Roman”).

Usage

When used as a common noun to describe a type of person, it is typically not capitalized, though the literary reference remains clear.

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