different between romantic vs unusual

English

Alternative forms

• romantick (obsolete)

Etymology

From romant +? -ic, or borrowed from Late Latin romanticus (“(of a poem) having qualities of a romance”). Compare French romantique, which is borrowed from English. Also compare Spanish romántico, Portuguese romântico, Italian romantico, Dutch romantisch, and German romantisch and Romantiker (“a composer of Romantic music”), all of which are borrowed from English or French.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????mænt?k/, /??-/
• (General American) enPR: r?-m?n?(t)?k, IPA^(key): /?o??mæn(t)?k/, [?o??mænt?k], [??-], [-mæ???k], [-me??nt?k], [-me?????k]
• Rhymes: -ænt?k

Adjective

romantic (comparative more romantic, superlative most romantic)

1. (chiefly historical) Of a work of literature, a writer etc.: being like or having the characteristics of a romance, or poetic tale of a mythic or quasi-historical time; fantastic. [from 17th c.]
2. (obsolete) Fictitious, imaginary. [17th-20th c.]
3. Fantastic, unrealistic (of an idea etc.); fanciful, sentimental, impractical (of a person). [from 17th c.]
   • 1993 May 16, "Return to New York" Jeeves and Wooster, Series 3, Episode 6:

     R. Jeeves: In my experience, ladies who spell Gladys with a W are seldom noted for their reliability, sir. It gives them romantic notions.
     B.W. Wooster: With a W, Jeeves? No, no, no, no. You spell it with a G.
     R. Jeeves: If I might draw your attention to the signature on the portrait, sir.
     B.W. Wooster: Good Lord! G-W?
     R. Jeeves: I blame Alfred Lord Tennyson and his Idylls of the King. It also accounts for Kathryn, Ysabel, and Ethyl, all spelt with a Y, but Gwladys is a particularly virulent form, sir.

4. Having the qualities of romance (in the sense of something appealing deeply to the imagination); invoking on a powerfully sentimental idea of life; evocative, atmospheric. [from 17th c.]
   • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:

     Somehow she wasn't a real sister, but that only made her the more romantic.
5. Pertaining to an idealised form of love (originally, as might be felt by the heroes of a romance); conducive to romance; loving, affectionate. [from 18th c.]

   Antonyms: platonic, nonsexual

6. Alternative form of Romantic [from 18th c.]

Antonyms

• nonromantic, unromantic, antiromantic, aromantic

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

romantic (plural romantics)

1. A person with romantic character (a character like those of the knights in a mythic romance).
2. A person who is behaving romantically (in a manner befitting someone who feels an idealized form of love).

   Oh, flowers! You're such a romantic.

Descendants

• ? French: romantique
• ? Italian: romantico

Translations

References

Further reading

• "romantic" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 274.

Romanian

Etymology

From French romantique.

Adjective

romantic m or n (feminine singular romantic?, masculine plural romantici, feminine and neuter plural romantice)

1. romantic

Declension

English

Alternative forms

• unusuall (obsolete)

Etymology

From un- +? usual.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?ju??u?l/, /?n?ju???l/

Adjective

unusual (comparative more unusual, superlative most unusual)

1. Not usual, out of the ordinary

   Synonyms: uncommon, rare, extraordinary, remarkable; see also Thesaurus:strange

   Antonyms: normal, usual, common, ordinary

Derived terms

• unusually
• unusualness

Translations

Noun

unusual (plural unusuals)

1. Something that is unusual; an anomaly.
   • 1905, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Return of Sherlock Holmes

     I should say that it was very unusual for such men to leave a bottle half empty. How do all these unusuals strike you, Watson?

   • 1939, Pauline Redmond, Wilfrid Redmond, Business paper writing, a career (page 154)

     Two of these unusuals have been selected for special effort throughout the season. They are kneeling pads and water-proof garden gloves. During the bulb planting season they are displayed with the bulbs […]

References

• unusual at OneLook Dictionary Search