Idioms about love help people describe affection, attraction, commitment, heartbreak, and the ups and downs of relationships in vivid, familiar language.
This guide explains common expressions, shows how they work in everyday sentences, and distinguishes idioms from related sayings.
What are idioms about love?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning cannot always be understood by interpreting each word literally.
For example, someone who is “head over heels” is deeply in love, not physically upside down.
Love idioms appear in conversation, fiction, songs, and personal writing, but their tone can range from playful to serious.
Some expressions below describe romantic love specifically; others can apply to strong affection or close relationships more broadly.
Choose one that suits the situation and the level of emotion you want to convey.
Idioms for falling in love and attraction
- Head over heels: Deeply and often intensely in love. “They were head over heels after their first few dates.”
- Fall for someone: Begin to feel romantic love or attraction. “Maya didn’t expect to fall for her longtime friend.”
- Have a crush on someone: Feel a strong, usually early-stage attraction. “He has had a crush on his classmate for months.”
- Love at first sight: The idea of falling in love immediately upon seeing someone. “She describes their first meeting as love at first sight.” This is often a romantic description rather than a claim that two people already know each other well.
- Be smitten with someone: Be strongly attracted to or charmed by someone. “He was smitten with the new colleague’s humor.”
- Have eyes for someone: Be romantically interested in a particular person. “It was clear that she only had eyes for Daniel.”
- Be crazy about someone: Feel very enthusiastic or deeply affectionate toward someone. “They’re still crazy about each other after all these years.” The phrase can also describe a strong liking for a non-person, such as a hobby.
- Be swept off your feet: Be made to feel suddenly captivated or delighted, often by a romantic gesture. “The thoughtful surprise swept her off her feet.”
- Be a match made in heaven: Be exceptionally well suited as a couple or partnership. “Their friends thought they were a match made in heaven.”
Idioms for affection and closeness
- Be lovey-dovey: Show affection in a noticeably sentimental or cuddly way. “The couple became lovey-dovey during the film.” It is informal and can sound teasing.
- Be joined at the hip: Spend a great deal of time together or be very close. “They were joined at the hip throughout college.” This expression is not limited to romantic couples.
- Wear your heart on your sleeve: Show your emotions openly. “He wears his heart on his sleeve, so his friends know when he cares about someone.”
- Be the apple of someone’s eye: Be especially cherished by someone. “Her youngest grandson is the apple of her eye.” It commonly refers to family affection, though it can describe other close bonds.
- Be sweet on someone: Have a gentle or somewhat old-fashioned romantic interest in someone. “When they were teenagers, he was sweet on a neighbor.”
- Have a soft spot for someone: Feel particular fondness or tenderness toward a person. “She has a soft spot for the friend who supported her during a difficult year.”
Idioms for commitment and lasting love
- Tie the knot: Get married. “They’re planning to tie the knot next spring.” This informal idiom refers to marriage, not to a particular kind of wedding.
- Take the plunge: Make a significant decision or commitment, sometimes marriage. “After years together, they decided to take the plunge.” The expression is also used for major decisions unrelated to love.
- Settle down: Choose a more stable or committed way of life, often by forming a lasting partnership. “He hopes to settle down someday, but he isn’t in a hurry.”
- Through thick and thin: In good times and bad. “They supported each other through thick and thin.” It can describe loyal friendships and family relationships as well as romantic ones.
- Grow old together: Stay together into old age. “They hope to grow old together and keep exploring new places.”
- Be made for each other: Seem especially compatible. “Their shared sense of humor makes them seem made for each other.”
- Be on the same wavelength: Think or feel similarly and understand each other easily. “They’re on the same wavelength about how to raise their children.” This also works for friends and colleagues.
Idioms for heartbreak and relationship problems
- Have a broken heart: Feel intense sadness after a romantic loss or disappointment. “She had a broken heart after the relationship ended.”
- Break someone’s heart: Cause someone deep emotional pain, often by ending a relationship or disappointing them. “He worried that leaving would break her heart.”
- Wear the trousers: Be the person who has more control or makes the decisions in a relationship. “People assumed she wore the trousers, but they made decisions together.” This informal expression is more common in British English; the American equivalent is often “wear the pants.”
- Be on the rocks: Be experiencing serious problems, especially as a couple. “Their relationship was on the rocks after months of arguments.”
- Have a falling-out: Have an argument that damages a relationship. “They had a falling-out but eventually talked things through.” The phrase applies to friends and family, too.
- Give someone the cold shoulder: Deliberately ignore or act unfriendly toward someone. “After the disagreement, he gave her the cold shoulder.”
- Be head over heels in debt: Be in a difficult situation, often financially; this playful variation is not a standard love idiom.
For romantic meaning, use “head over heels in love.”
Idioms, proverbs, and romantic expressions
Not every memorable phrase about love is an idiom.
A proverb is a short, familiar saying that offers a general observation or advice, such as “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Its meaning is broadly understandable, unlike the figurative meaning of “head over heels.”
Other phrases are conventional but mostly literal. “A labor of love,” for instance, means work done because of affection or commitment, despite the effort involved. “Puppy love” describes young or inexperienced romantic affection and is often used dismissively.
These expressions belong in discussions of love-related language, but they do not all function in the same way.
How to use love idioms naturally
- Match the tone: “Lovey-dovey” is light and informal, while “through thick and thin” sounds more sincere and serious.
- Consider the relationship: “Head over heels” usually suggests intense romantic feeling; “the apple of my eye” often suits family affection.
- Use the right form: People fall for someone, are smitten with someone, and tie the knot.
Keep the expression’s usual grammar. - Avoid overusing them: One apt idiom can make a sentence vivid.
Several in a row may sound forced or unclear. - Think about the audience: Some phrases are informal, dated, regional, or teasing. “Wear the trousers,” for example, may sound old-fashioned to some readers.
For a clear sentence, pair the expression with a specific detail: “They stood by each other through thick and thin, especially during the move.” The detail shows what the idiom means in context and keeps the writing personal rather than generic.