Dear John
Romantic goodbye correspondence
A Dear John letter is a message, traditionally written, in which someone ends a romantic relationship.
The term originated in World War II when women would write to servicemen overseas to break off engagements or marriages.
The name John stands in for any man receiving such unwelcome news.
She sent him a Dear John while he was deployed.
The phrase now applies broadly to any breakup communication, regardless of the recipient's gender or the medium used.
- letterWritten symbol or message
- wartimePeriod of armed conflict
- heartbreakCrushing emotional pain
- rejectionDenial of acceptance
- soldierArmed forces member
closure · farewell · love · divorce · separation · distance · broken heart · breakup · stateside · war bride · message · military · deployment · moving on · moving forward · jilted · writing · pen and paper
- breakupsbreakup, breaking up, dumped, dumping, it's over
- military slangFUBAR, hoorah, devil dog, SNAFU, GI
- rom-comsrom-com, romantic comedy, romcom, Pretty Woman, meet-cute
- epistolary novelsPamela, Clarissa, Dangerous Liaisons, Julie, Dracula
Dear Johnlove letter
Written romantic declaration
marriage proposal · billet-doux · declaration of love · acceptance letter · wedding invitation
Dear Johnmarriage proposal
Offer of matrimony
wedding vows · engagement · proposal · I do · betrothal
dear, dearest, John, endearing, dearly, endear, endearment, dearie, Johnson