r-o-m-a-n-t-i-c
ROMANTIC is a person characterized by idealism, passion, and emotional expression, or something relating to romance, love, and artistic sensibility. In word games, this 8-letter word offers solid scoring potential with its balanced letter composition.
12
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
ROMANTIC carries multiple layers of meaning that have evolved over centuries. At its core, it describes a person who is guided by emotion and idealism rather than practicality, someone who sees the world through rose-colored glasses and believes in the power of love, beauty, and artistic expression.
In relationships, a romantic person is one who expresses love through grand gestures, thoughtful surprises, and poetic declarations. They value emotional connection, intimacy, and the celebration of love in all its forms. This extends beyond personal relationships to encompass a general worldview that prioritizes feeling over logic.
The word also refers to the Romantic movement in art, literature, and music that flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This cultural revolution emphasized emotion, individualism, nature, and imagination as reactions against the rationalism of the Enlightenment. Romantic artists like Byron, Shelley, and Keats revolutionized poetry, while composers like Chopin and Liszt transformed music.
In modern usage, romantic can describe anything from candlelit dinners and sunset walks to unrealistic expectations and impractical dreams. It encompasses both the beauty of emotional expression and the potential pitfalls of excessive idealism.
ROMANTIC traces its roots to the medieval term "romance," originally referring to vernacular languages derived from Latin (the Roman language). In Old French, "romanz" meant a story written in the vernacular rather than Latin, typically featuring tales of chivalry, adventure, and love.
By the 17th century, "romantic" described something resembling the fanciful stories found in medieval romances—characterized by mystery, adventure, and heightened emotion. The term evolved to encompass anything that departed from classical restraint and embraced imagination and feeling.
The word gained its modern associations with love and emotional expression during the Romantic period (roughly 1770-1850), when artists and writers championed emotion, nature, and individual experience. This cultural movement permanently linked "romantic" with passionate love, artistic sensibility, and idealistic worldviews.
•The Romantic movement gave us some of literature's most famous quotes about love and nature, including Keats' "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" and Byron's passionate verses that scandalized Victorian society
•Being "romantic" varies dramatically across cultures—while Western romance emphasizes individual expression and grand gestures, other cultures value subtlety, family approval, and practical demonstrations of care
•In Scrabble, ROMANTIC can be strategically broken down into smaller words like ROMAN, ANTIC, MANIC, or MICRO, making it valuable for parallel plays and maximizing board coverage
"The Romantic poets transformed literature with their emphasis on emotion and nature, challenging the cold rationalism of their predecessors."
"Her romantic sensibilities led her to see beauty in the mundane, finding poetry in everyday moments."
"He was hopelessly romantic, surprising his partner with handwritten letters and spontaneous adventures."
"Their romantic evening included stargazing on the beach and sharing dreams for the future."
"Playing ROMANTIC across a double word score while creating ANTIC vertically earned me 76 points!"
Someone who maintains idealistic views about love despite disappointments
A genre focusing on humorous romantic relationships
A trip designed to foster intimacy and connection
A person who is the object of romantic attraction
The concept of being romantic has profoundly shaped Western culture, from our expectations of relationships to our appreciation of art and nature. The Romantic movement's emphasis on individual expression and emotional authenticity continues to influence contemporary culture, from Hollywood films to social media declarations of love.
In the digital age, romantic expression has evolved to include text messages, emojis, and virtual dates, yet the core desire for emotional connection remains unchanged. The tension between romantic idealism and practical reality continues to fascinate us, spawning countless books, films, and songs exploring love's complexities.
Understanding romanticism helps us appreciate both the beauty of emotional expression and the importance of balancing idealism with reality in our relationships and creative pursuits.
Total base points: 12 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 3 | Consonants: 5
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