court him

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "court him" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to the act of seeking someone's affection or romantic interest. An example would be: "He decided to court her with flowers and sweet gestures." Alternative expressions include "woo him" and "pursue him."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

33 human-written examples

She traveled to his native Ethiopia twice to court him.

The New York Times - Sports

Business people and lobbyists continued to court him.

The New York Times

Foreign environmentalists court him, and the wealthy Gujarati diaspora also cheer him.

The Economist

They court him over coffee and drop by when they are in town.

The New York Times

This forced all eight of the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidates to travel to Nevada and court him.

The New Yorker

It is unlikely that any other leading Democrat will court him as they once did Mr Jackson.Mr Sharpton's problem is that too many people regard him as radioactive.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

25 human-written examples

This time investors courted him.

The New York Times

Wall Street spent years courting him.

The New York Times

Canterbury are courting him.

The Guardian - Sport

Chelsea and others who are courting him must wait.

The New York Times - Sports

He doesn't court the media: the media courts him.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve this phrase for situations involving a high-value individual who is being selectively pursued by multiple parties.

Common error

Avoid using "court him" when you actually mean taking someone to a legal tribunal. While 'taking someone to court' implies a lawsuit, to "court him" means you are trying to attract or persuade him. Ludwig examples confirm that this phrase is strictly about pursuit and charm, not legal confrontation.

Linguistic Context

As a transitive verb phrase, "court him" functions to describe an action directed toward a male subject with the intent of gaining favor, partnership, or romantic interest. Ludwig data demonstrates that it is frequently used in sports and business recruitment.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Academia

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "court him" is a versatile and sophisticated phrase used to describe the act of seeking someone's favor or participation. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase appears most frequently in high-quality journalism, particularly when discussing high-profile recruitment in sports or corporate leadership. While it retains its romantic meaning in specific contexts, its professional application is dominant today. Writers should feel confident using it to describe any persistent effort to win over a person of influence, provided they distinguish it from legal terminology.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

woo him

suggests a more charming or romantic approach to persuasion

pursue him

emphasizes the active and persistent effort to reach a goal

win him over

focuses on the successful outcome of the persuasion process

seek his favor

is a more formal way of describing the act of gaining approval

entice him

suggests attracting someone through specific benefits or rewards

recruit him

implies a structured professional context like sports or jobs

lobby him

is specific to political or corporate influence and advocacy

attract him

is a broader term for drawing someone's interest or attention

solicit him

is highly formal and often relates to asking for help or business

cajole him

implies using flattery or gentle persistence to get what you want

FAQs

How do I use "court him" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe persuasion, such as "Many tech giants tried to <a href="/s/court+him" target="_blank" rel="alternative">court him for his expertise."

What can I say instead of "court him"?

Depending on the tone, you can use "<a href="/s/woo+him" target="_blank" rel="alternative">woo him", "<a href="/s/pursue+him" target="_blank" rel="alternative">pursue him", or "<a href="/s/win+him+over" target="_blank" rel="alternative">win him over".

Is "court him" only for romantic situations?

No, while it has romantic origins, it is very common in professional contexts. For example, many Ludwig AI sources show universities and sports teams trying to <a href="/s/court+him" target="_blank" rel="alternative">court him for recruitment.

What is the difference between "court him" and "take him to court"?

To "court him" is to seek his favor or interest, whereas to <a href="/s/take+him+to+court" target="_blank" rel="alternative">take him to court is to begin a legal proceeding against him.