Intimacy Meaning
/ˈɪn.tɪ.mə.si/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounFeeling or atmosphere of closeness and openness towards someone else, often but not necessarily involving sexuality.
nounIntimate relationship.
Sentence Examples
Their intimacy grew with the years.
He often hastens physical intimacy, much to the chagrin of his dates.
They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The emotional ____ between the two partners grew as they trusted each other more.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The small candlelit room provided a sense of ____ that made the dinner feel very personal.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English intimate English -cy English intimacy From intimate + -cy.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1791 (date written), Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1792, →OCLC:
"[…] there was keen intimacy between the dog and the man."
— 1908, Jack London, “To Build a Fire”, in Lost Face, London: Mills & Boon, published 1916:
"The Conan O’Brien-penned half-hour has the capacity to rip our collective hearts out the way the cute, funny bad girl next door does to Bart when she reveals that her new boyfriend is Jimbo Jones, but the show keeps shying away from genuine emotion in favor of jokes that, while overwhelmingly funny, detract from the poignancy and the emotional intimacy of the episode."
— 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club:
"“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 […]”"
— 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 8, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
"“[…] it isn’t my notion of the way to bring up a girl to give her up, in extreme youth, to an intimacy with a young married woman who’s both unhappy and silly, whose conversation has absolutely no limits, who says everything that comes into her head and talks to the poor child about God only knows what […]”"
— 1899, Henry James, The Awkward Age, Book One, Chapter 2:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The emotional ____ between the two partners grew as they trusted each other more.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The small candlelit room provided a sense of ____ that made the dinner feel very personal.