Definition and pronunciation
make love — a romantic euphemism meaning to have sex, usually with tenderness and affection. Historically (older English), it could mean to court or woo without implying sex.
Pronounced /meɪk lʌv/.
Easy explanation
Make love is a gentle way to say two people have sex with care and affection. In older books it can simply mean flirt or court. Today, most readers understand it as sexual intimacy between consenting adults.
Part of speech and grammar
- Verb phrase: make + love; tenses like make/made/made love; making love.
- Partner pattern: make love to/with [someone].
- Noun: lovemaking (uncountable): their lovemaking.
- Adverbs/adjectives: make passionate/tender love; make love slowly/quietly.
- Avoid using an article (a love ✗) in this sense.
Register and tone
Warm, romantic, discreet. Less clinical than have sex, less slangy than sleep with or hook up. Suitable for counseling, literature, and respectful conversation.
Connection to sexuality
Yes. In modern usage make love refers to sexual activity framed as affectionate and consensual. If you need medical or legal precision, prefer have sex or sexual intercourse with clear modifiers.
Common collocations
- make love to [someone]
- make love with [someone]
- lovemaking (gentle, romantic)
- make passionate/tender love
- make love after/before [event]
- make love, not war (slogan)
Idioms and set phrases
- make love, not war — antiwar slogan meaning favor love over violence.
- lovemaking — the act itself, framed romantically.
- make love to — traditional phrasing; some perceive it as old-fashioned or one-sided in agency.
- make love with — emphasizes mutuality.
Prepositions and nuance
- to [someone] — traditional, literary; can suggest action directed toward a partner.
He wrote that he wished to make love to her (old-fashioned/literary). - with [someone] — modern and mutual; preferred by many.
They made love with each other after talking about boundaries. - during/after/before [time/condition] — timing: during recovery, after travel, before bedtime.
- without [protection/consent] — be explicit: without consent is not “making love”; it is a crime and should be named as such.
Word comparisons
- have sex — plain, neutral; good for clear communication.
- have intercourse — clinical/formal; used in health/legal contexts.
- sleep with — common euphemism; less romantic.
- be intimate — may include nonsexual closeness; add physically/emotionally for clarity.
- hook up — casual encounter; social/slangy, not necessarily romantic.
Real-life examples
- They agreed to wait until they both felt ready to make love.
- A counselor may ask whether making love is painful or stressful and suggest resources.
- In the novel, the phrase “make love” clearly signals a tender sex scene.
- Older texts sometimes use “make love” to mean “court” without any sexual act implied.
Sample sentences
- They made love after discussing consent and protection.
- The film implies the couple made love without explicit scenes.
- In that Victorian novel, “making love” just means courting.
- They chose not to make love while one partner was recovering from surgery.
Synonyms
have sex, have intercourse, sleep with, be intimate, make whoopee, make whoopie, be physically intimate, engage in sexual relations
Antonyms
abstain, remain platonic, refrain, practice celibacy, say no
Related terms
intimacy, consent, aftercare, foreplay, affectionate, romantic, sexual intercourse, safer sex, contraception, boundaries, emotional intimacy, lovemaking
Notes and etiquette
Use make love when you want a tender, respectful tone. For medical, legal, or educational clarity, select precise terms and add modifiers (e.g., protected vaginal intercourse). Always center mutual consent, communication, and safety.
Sexopedia.co is an educational glossary of sexual and gender-related terms—helping you improve your English while deepening your understanding of identity, language, and self-expression.