romancingn.
/rə(ʊ)ˈmansɪŋ/, U.S. /roʊˈmænsɪŋ/, /ˈroʊˌmænsɪŋ/ 1. The action of composing romances or (in later use chiefly) extravagant fictions; wild invention or speculation; (occasionally) an instance of this.In quot. 1440: the recitation of verse.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > a false or foolish tale > [noun] > of an exaggerated kind > telling of
romancing1440
fablingc1525
Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 191 Gestynge, or romawncynge [Winch. romawnceng], gesticulatus, rythmicatus.
a1666 R. Fanshawe tr. A. Hurtado de Mendoza Querer por solo Querer (1670) iii. 142 Return to Persia, leave Romancing, leave Disnerving Loves, and all that may deceive The Harvest of so fair a Spring.
1695 D. Turner Apologia Chyrurg. 53 Launching out into a further liberty of romancing.
1719 D. Waterland Vindic. Christ's Divinity 102 Writing of History by Invention, is really Romancing.
1740 S. Richardson Pamela (1824) I. 90 But this, to be sure, is horrid romancing!
1849 E. B. Eastwick Dry Leaves 181 Commend me to a Persian for romancing.
1879 G. Meredith Egoist II. vii. 156 Oh! Mrs. Montague, that is what the country people call roemancing.
1884 Publishers' Circular 1 Nov. 1106/1 The mischief done by historical romancings has been very considerable.
1913 Sunday Independent (Ireland) 14 Dec. 2/4 It was only some of his usual quare whimsical fun an' romancin'.
1941 Astron. Soc. Pacific Leaflets Jan. 333 The immediate and natural tendency of an experienced reader is to expect another bit of pseudo-scientific romancing.
2003 M. Roussel tr. F. Chamoux Hellenistic Civilization x. 360 As often occurs in such literature, the need for personal self-justification or mere romancing often colored these accounts.
2. The action of romance v. 5b; romantic dalliance; courting.
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1922 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 8 May 1/2 There are many ways of courtship and there have been balconies designed for more grace in romancing.
1966 L. Davidson Long Way to Shiloh (1968) v. 86 The deadpan joker might well have put me on to the local romancing spot.
2002 A. Jagose Inconsequence i. 19 Lister's romancing of Anne one night in her bedroom implies a shared sexual history.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
romancingadj.
/rə(ʊ)ˈmansɪŋ/, U.S. /roʊˈmænsɪŋ/, /ˈroʊˌmænsɪŋ/ That romances (in various senses of the verb). Also: of the nature of a romance; far-fetched, implausible.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > a false or foolish tale > [adjective] > indulging in fables
fabling1548
fabulous1589
romancing1673
fabulose1677
society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > romance > [adjective] > romanticizing
romancing1673
romancical1822
romanticizing1830
1673 Char. Coffee-house 3 You can scarce guess whether the real Engagement, or his Romancing account of it, be the more dreadful.
1710 Medley No. 12. 2 This grave, yet sometimes pleasant and romancing Author, writ several Discourses.
1728 J. Morgan Compl. Hist. Algiers I. iii. 246 The idle Story, picked up by Dr. Tassy out of that romancing Manuscript.
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield II. iv. 67 A story, my child, told us by a grave, tho' sometimes a romancing, historian.
1826 N. Amer. Rev. Oct. 304 The romancing calumny of the French libellers.
?1856 F. E. Smedley Harry Coverdale's Courtship xxxi. 212 If that had been my only reason for accepting my romancing husband.
1865 D. Livingstone & C. Livingstone Narr. Exped. Zambesi xix. 389 Marvels equal to the most romancing tales of ancient travellers.
1922 Educ. Rev. Jan. 23 The florid orator, the romancing patriot, sees no dangerous shoals lying in the nation's course.
1969 E. Rawson Spartan Trad. European Thought iii. 52 Ctesias (author of a romancing account of Persia).
2006 News & Observer (Raleigh, N. Carolina) (Nexis) 22 Dec. (What's Up section) 25 It's entirely possible for a romancing couple to dine fireside in a cozy dining room, undisturbed by the bustling crowd.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1440adj.1673