Definition

1. Noun:
   • A close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship: A state of deep friendship or emotional connection where individuals feel comfortable, understood, and share private thoughts and feelings.
   • A state of being intimate: The quality of having a close, warm, and private association with someone.
   • An intimate act, especially sexual intercourse: A euphemism for a sexual relationship, often implying privacy or secrecy.
   • A detailed, deep knowledge or understanding of a subject: A profound familiarity with a topic, though this usage is less common.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Emotional Closeness):
  • The long conversations by the fire fostered a deep intimacy between them.
  • There was an instant intimacy in their friendship that felt like they had known each other for years.
• Noun (Sexual Relationship):
  • The novel describes the growing intimacy between the two main characters.
  • He was accused of having an intimacy with a colleague.
• Noun (Atmosphere of Closeness):
  • The small cafe had an air of cozy intimacy.

Advanced Usage

• "Intimacy of": Used to describe a close, familiar connection with something non-personal, such as a place or a subject.
  • She wrote with an intimacy of detail that showed her deep knowledge of the region.
• "Emotional intimacy": A specific term highlighting the sharing of innermost feelings and vulnerabilities, distinct from physical intimacy.
  • For a lasting partnership, emotional intimacy is just as important as physical attraction.

Variants and Related Words

• Intimate (adj): Closely acquainted; familiar, close, or private.
  • They are intimate friends.
• Intimate (verb): To make known indirectly; to hint or imply.
  • He intimated that he might not agree. (Note: This verb form has a different, though related, meaning.)
• Intimately (adv): In a close, familiar, or detailed manner.
  • She knew the history of the town intimately.

Synonyms

• Closeness: The quality of being intimate or closely associated.
• Familiarity: Close acquaintance with or knowledge of someone or something.
• Togetherness: A feeling of warmth and closeness in a relationship.

Related Phrases

• Fear of intimacy: A psychological condition where a person is afraid of forming close emotional or physical bonds.
  • His fear of intimacy made it difficult for him to maintain long-term relationships.
• Intimacy issues: Difficulties in forming or maintaining close personal relationships.
  • The couple sought therapy to work through their intimacy issues.

Idioms

• To be on intimate terms with someone: To have a very close and familiar relationship with someone.
  • After working together for a decade, they were on intimate terms.
• The intimacy of the moment: Refers to the private, personal quality of a specific experience shared between people.
  • The soft music added to the intimacy of the moment.

Noun

1. a feeling of being intimate and belonging together
   • their closeness grew as the night wore on
2. a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship
3. close or warm friendship
   • the absence of fences created a mysterious intimacy in which no one knew privacy