Dictionary

make love en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Calque of Old Occitan far amor, Middle French faire l'amour.

Meanings

1. (euphemistic) To engage in sexual intercourse.
   • Actress Dana Delany fantasizes about making love with two men. 1995 March 22, “Seinfeld with Madonna? 'Cosmo' reveals sex fantasies”, in The Arizona Republic:
   • You danced for me in your bare feet / That mellow afternoon / When we made love to each other 1976, “Oh Lori”, in Alessi, performed by Alessi Brothers:
   • Wake up and make love with me, wake up and make love / Wake up and make love with me / I don't want to make you, I'll let the fancy take you / And you'll wake up and make love 1977, “Wake Up And Make Love With Me”, in New Boots and Panties!!, performed by Ian Dury:
   • She takes just like a woman, yeah she does / She makes love just like a woman, yeah she does 1966, Bob Dylan, “Just Like a Woman”, in Blonde on Blonde:
   • We made love and then you cried 2003 October 27, Alan Jackson, “Remember When”, in Greatest Hits Volume II (Promo-only CD single), performed by Alan Jackson:
   • There's many times that we've loved / We've shared love and made love / It doesn't seem to me like it's enough 1974, “Can't Get Enough of Your Love”, performed by Barry White:
   • I feel like makin' love to you / That's the time / I feel like makin' dreams come true 1974, “Feel Like Makin’ Love”, performed by Roberta Flack:
   • I caught them making love on my couch.
2. (archaic) To make amorous approaches (to); to woo, romance, court.
   • The first stage we tackled was just about as rickety as it could very well be and I had to sit with the driver, who was a Mormon and so handsome that I was not a bit offended when he insisted on making love all the way, especially after he told me that he was a widower Mormon. 1914, Elinore Pruitt Stewart, Letters of a Woman Homesteader, Houghton Mifflin Company, pages 3–4:
   • So from thenceforth, when loue he to her made, / VVith better tearmes ſhe did him entertaine, / VVhich gaue him hope, and did him halfe perſvvade, / That he iunb time her ioyaunce ſhould obtaine. 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 7, page 494:
   • ‘Ever since I was sixteen men have been making love to me.’ 1941, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, Up at the Villa, Vintage, published 2004, page 24:
   • About a week afterwards she said to him, point-blank, "Are you seriously making love to your little cousin?" 1878 July–October, Henry James, Jr., chapter II, in The Europeans. A Sketch. […], volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., published 1878, →OCLC, page 80:
   • ... she began making a tour of the whole castle and asking questions, but all in such an innocent, babyish way that no one could suspect her of any secret design. (...) She made love to everyone - the grooms, the porters, the housemaids, the ladies-in-waiting ... 1953, C.S.Lewis, The Silver Chair, page 107:
   • [S]carcely had they passed the sweep-gate and joined the other carriage, than she found her subject cut up–her hand seized–her attention demanded, and Mr. Elton actually making violent love to her: availing himself of the precious opportunity, declaring sentiments which must already be well known, […] 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XV, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 275:
   • He's making violent love to me, Mother. 1946, It's a Wonderful Life, spoken by Mary Hatch (Donna Reed):
   • After all, the chief charm is in the fact of being made love to. You are making love to me, aren't you? 1910, Saki [pseudonym; Hector Hugh Munro], “The Baker’s Dozen”, in Reginald in Russia and Other Sketches, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 107:

Forms

Deriveds

make love, not war · make love to the camera

Synonyms

share a bed · shaboink · hike the Appalachian Trail · do the deed · bop · shag · pitch woo · breed · get some · rock and roll · get one's end away · pound · have it off · go all the way · frig · hump · dance · Netflix and chill · hide the wienie · solicit · have sex · woo · boink · strain · bang · hook up · make love · slap bellies · frack · catch a dick · expletive deleted · discuss Uganda · beat · get the dirty water off one's chest · frick · court · hide the sausage · romance · get lucky · get one's freak on · penetrate · spark · boff · do the nasty · knock boots · get laid · shelve · get down · clap cheeks · ride · fuck · have marital relations · make out · get one's groove on · screw · roger · make love · have it away · exchange flesh · bauf · couple · make a move (on) · show someone one's etchings · get it on · get busy · pipe down · play · get physical · get it · meddle · make whoopee · make it · play hide the sausage · common · endear · engender · see someone's etchings · jig-jig · sleep together · haul one's ashes · roll around · cohabit · bump nasties · sex · bonk · get one's dick wet · get freaky · bedear · frak · chase after · do it · have sexual relations · tumble · make the beast with two backs · company · rail · get jiggy · graft the forked tree · intercourse · bounce · engage in sex · know someone in the biblical sense · have intimate relations · put the moves on · lay the pipe · copulate · lay pipe · mate · pipe · get one's leg over · crack · eff · bone · dip one's pen in someone's inkwell · address · hide the salami · root · ming · get one's oats · bump uglies · know · stick · approach · beau

Translations (70)

ru заня́ться любо́вью (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · pl kochać się (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · cs milovat se (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · sh voditi ljubav (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · sv älska (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · fr faire l'amour (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ja はめ倒す (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · is njóta ásta (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ja 嵌める (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · njo-jgl medem (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ar وَاقَعَ (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · it fare l'amore (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ca fer l'amor (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · sk súložiť (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · da elske (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ar جَامَعَ (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ko 섹스를 하다 (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · vi ăn nằm với ai (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · bg пра́вя любо́в (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · tr sevişmek (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · hy սիրով զբաղվել (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ar ضَاجَعَ (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · th ประเวณี (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · eo amori (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · cmn 做愛 /做爱 (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · hi प्रेम लीला (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · nb elske (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · de Liebe machen (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · pl uprawiać miłość (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · el κάνω έρωτα (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · fa عشق ورزیدن (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · tr birlikte olmak (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · id bercinta (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ro face dragoste (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · nl de liefde bedrijven (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · egy n:k-D53 (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · sl ljubiti se (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · mn хурьцах (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · mg manao firaisana ara-nofo (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · is hafa samfarir (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · pt fazer amor (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · is elskast (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · cmn 作愛 /作爱 (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ru занима́ться любо́вью (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · uk коха́тися (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · mg miray ara-nofo (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · th หลับนอน (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · vi tỏ tình với ai (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · sa विवाहार्थं प्रार्थयते (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · hi संभोग करना (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · th มีเพศสัมพันธ์ (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · uk займа́тися любо́в'ю (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · vi tán tỉnh ai (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · fi rakastella (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · cs souložit (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · tr aşk yapmak (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · ko 성관계를 하다 (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · vi làm tình (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · sk milovať sa (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · mg manao firaisana (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · gl facer o amor (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · hu szeretkezik (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · vi ôm ấp hôn hít ai (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · mk води љубов (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · vi ái ân (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · hu szerelmeskedik (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · nl vrijen (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · be займа́цца каха́ннем (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · es hacer el amor (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate) · sh водити љубав (to engage in sexual intercourse — see also copulate)