Marriage: English Vocabulary List

to become someone's husband or wife in marriage

"They tied the knot in June."

"After dating for nearly a decade, the couple finally decided to tie the knot in a beautiful ceremony by the lake."

to get married with or date someone who is much younger than one

"He robbed the cradle last year."

"Many people criticized the famous actor because they believed he was robbing the cradle when he started dating a woman thirty years younger."

to propose someone to join one in marriage

"He finally popped the question."

"He planned a romantic dinner by the lake to pop the question and ask her to marry him."

to abandon the person one is supposed to marry at the last possible moment before the ceremony

"He left her at altar."

"The groom's sudden disappearance meant he would leave his bride at the altar on their wedding day."

to become someone's husband or wife during a special ceremony

"They got hitched last summer."

"After dating for five years, my sister and her boyfriend finally got hitched in a beautiful ceremony."

used to refer to a woman who is unmarried despite being older than the typical age traditionally associated with marriage

"She felt she was on the shelf."

"She worried that she would be left on the shelf if she did not get married before turning thirty years old."

to become someone's wife or husband during a special ceremony

"We finally took the plunge and got married."

"After dating for five years they finally decided to take the plunge and get married in the summer."

to marry someone primarily for their wealth or financial status rather than for love or other personal reasons

"She married money for security."

"He didn't love her, but he decided to marry money to secure his family's financial future."

to get married with a girl or woman one has been dating

"He made an honest woman of her."

"After years of dating and living together, he finally decided to make an honest woman out of his long-term girlfriend."

a relatively short-lived first marriage that serves as a learning experience for one or both partners

"Their starter marriage ended quickly."

"Their starter marriage lasted only a year, serving as a valuable lesson about commitment and compatibility."

to become someone's wife or husband during a special ceremony

"They will take the plunge."

"After dating for ten years, the couple finally decided to take the plunge and get married."