- 1[transitive] court somebody to try to please someone in order to get something you want, especially the support of a person, an organization, etc. synonym cultivate Both candidates have spent the last month courting the media. try to get
- 2[transitive] court something (formal) to try to obtain something He has never courted popularity.
- 3[transitive] court something (formal) to do something that might result in something unpleasant happening to court danger/death/disaster As a politician he has often courted controversy. have relationship
- 4[transitive] court somebody (old-fashioned) if a man courts a woman, he spends time with her and tries to make her love him, so that they can get married He had been courting Jane for six months.
- 5be courting [intransitive] (old-fashioned) (of a man and a woman) to have a romantic relationship before getting married At that time they had been courting for several years. see courtship
court
verbNAmE//kɔrt//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they court he / she / it courts
past simple courted
-ing form courting
Check pronunciation: court