Courted

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Engaged in pursuing a romantic partner ; made efforts to win approval or support from someone or a group
2. Actively sought a lover or relationship with another person ; tried to secure someone's goodwill or endorsement
3. Pursued affection or a dating connection ; worked to gain backing or favour from others

Etymology: "Courted" is the past tense and past participle of "court," so its story is really the story of the verb's romantic sense, which grew out of a much older meaning about a ruler's household. The noun "court" came into English from Old French "cort," and it traces back through Latin "cors" and "cohors," originally a farmyard or enclosure, to Proto-Italic "hortos," a yard or garden. The "yard" idea survives in the way a royal court was the enclosed space around a lord's residence, where his household and retainers gathered. From there, "to court" meant to pay attention to a ruler or powerful person, seeking favour at their residence. The romantic sense developed as this attention extended to winning the affection of someone, the way a suitor paid assiduous attention to a lady, and the verb took on that meaning in English. The ending "-ed" is the ordinary English past-tense marker, from Old English "-ed," so "courted" is simply "court" plus that suffix.

Synonyms: wooed, sought, pursued

Antonyms: ignored, shunned