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Prepositions after adjectives

Romantic about or romantic in?

Romantic about is used for attitudes or feelings toward something. Romantic in is used for behaviour or style in a particular situation.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows romantic?

Use romantic about when talking about emotional or idealistic feelings toward a subject. Use romantic in when describing how someone behaves or expresses romance in a context.

She is very romantic about old love stories.
He was romantic in the way he proposed.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
romantic about + subject

Talking about emotional attitudes

Use romantic about for idealistic or affectionate feelings toward an idea, activity, or topic.

He is romantic about travel.
They became romantic about life in the countryside.
2
romantic in + behaviour/situation

Describing romantic behaviour

Use romantic in to describe how someone acts in a particular context.

She was romantic in her letters.
He is romantic in small everyday gestures.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
romantic about
She is romantic about Paris.
having idealistic feelings about something
romantic in
He was romantic in his speech.
showing romance in behaviour or expression
romantic with
They had a romantic evening with candlelight.
with introduces company or details, not the adjective pattern
in love with
She is in love with her partner.
expresses romantic attachment directly

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using romantic about for behaviour

Use romantic in when describing the way someone behaves or expresses emotion.

✕ He was romantic about his proposal. ✓ He was romantic in his proposal.

Using romantic in for opinions or attitudes

Use romantic about for ideas or topics people idealise.

✕ She is romantic in travel. ✓ She is romantic about travel.

Confusing romantic with romance

Romantic is an adjective, while romance is usually a noun.

✕ They enjoyed a romantic. ✓ They enjoyed a romance.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is very ___ poetry and sunsets.
2. He was surprisingly ___ his wedding speech.
3. They are ___ old-fashioned love stories.

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Frequently asked questions

Can romantic about sound negative?

Yes. It can suggest unrealistic or overly idealistic thinking.

Is romantic in common?

It is less common than romantic about but natural when describing behaviour or expression.

Can I say romantic toward someone?

Yes. Romantic toward someone describes affectionate behaviour directed at a person.

racist-in-against-for-to, towards "radical in" or "radical for"? rampant in, among, with, on or throughout? "rare in" or "rare for"? "rational for" or "rational in"? "raw in", "raw for" or "raw with"? reachable by, from, on, in or through? "reactive to", "reactive rather" or "reactive in"? ready for, to, in, at or by? "realistic about" or "realistic in"? "real to", "real for" or "real in"? rearing of, as or on?

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