pay court to

Idioms and Phrases

Solicit the favors or affection of, as in If you want to win the daughter, you'll have to pay court to her mother . [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

Instead, remarkable numbers of them, including Germany's Olaf Scholz, Spain's Pedro Sánchez, and Brazil's Lula da Silva, have been turning up in Beijing to pay court to President Xi.

From Salon

He decided that the best use of his time would be to return to his keep and pay court to Idunn.

From Literature

Those seeking help in Washington had better pay court to Mr. Trump in order to gain his special favor.

From Washington Post

Only a couple of weeks after my firing, Sulzberger flew to Washington to pay court to Trump.

From Salon

“She dares to think that she could do much better than the clumsy local young men who pay court to her. When glamorous Dr Lydgate arrives, Rosamond sees at once that he offers her the best chance of marrying someone more cosmopolitan.”

From The Guardian

Related Words

• attract
• charm
• cultivate
• entice
• invite
• please
• praise
• propose
• pursue
• seek
• solicit
• sue
• woo