Star-crossed lovers
Star-crossed lovers are people whose love is thwarted by fate or powerful circumstances; the phrase appears in the opening of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The stars suggest a destiny working against them, rather than a lack of love.
Where it comes from
The source: love under unlucky stars
Shakespeare introduces the lovers as doomed before their story begins. The phrase draws on the belief that the stars could influence human lives.
In Romeo and Juliet, the children of two feuding families marry secretly. When a message explaining Juliet’s apparent death fails to reach Romeo, their plan ends in tragedy.
In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
What it means now
Today, the phrase describes lovers kept apart by family pressure, social rules, bad timing, or other forces. It usually suggests a tragic relationship, not an ordinary disagreement.
In The Mill on the Floss, Maggie Tulliver and Philip Wakem grow close, but hostility between their families stands against their love. Maggie’s brother Tom insists that she give Philip up.
In The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
How to use Star-crossed lovers
- Use it for lovers facing powerful obstacles beyond their control.
- Name the family conflict, social rule, or unlucky event keeping them apart.
- Choose a lighter phrase for an ordinary romantic disagreement.
Does star-crossed mean the lovers are meant to be together?
No, star-crossed means that fate or circumstances work against the lovers, not that they are destined for happiness together. Their love may be strong and mutual, but the phrase points to the forces that prevent it from flourishing.
Do star-crossed lovers always die?
No, the phrase does not require the lovers to die. Although both lovers die in Romeo and Juliet, modern use can describe a couple separated by distance, family demands, or bad timing. It still carries a strong suggestion of sorrow or defeat.
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