These words refer to pre-arranged meetings of an intimate nature, often secret, illicit or amorous in intent. Tryst is the most specific of these; it points almost invariably to a secret pre-arranged meeting, often at night, in a hidden place. The word hints at furtiveness and so strongly suggests a meeting of lovers that it could sound odd when used of any other encounter: a midnight tryst in the garden under a big old weeping willow. Likewise, assignation specifically indicates secrecy, but it also strongly suggests an illicit meeting. A tryst might be perfectly innocent, one that would cause no surprise or alarm if known about by others. In contrast, assignation denotes a meeting with an amorous or sexual purpose: arranging an assignation with the attractive widow while his wife was away for the weekend.

Rendezvous emphasizes pre-arrangement, but it may or may not be secret or unsavoury in implication. Often the word can suggest a simply matter of synchronizing independent movement so as to coincide at a planned time and place. It appears in contexts of romantic love, conspiracy and military tactics: a dimly lit caf¨¦ where the lovers held their rendezvous ; the crowded bus depot where the thief and his fence made their rendezvous ; a rendezvous of the two patrols in Zone A at 0600 hours. Date , by contrast, is the most general and informal of these words and is not often likely to suggest either a secret or illicit meeting. Most commonly, the word suggests an evening of shared entertainment between a man and woman who are not married: university students who confine their dates to weekends. The word can apply to any sort of pre-arranged meeting at any time for any purpose: a luncheon date with another secretary in her office: a date with her hairdresser.