Falling in love can feel exciting, confusing, and even funny. People have tried to explain these feelings in many ways. One way is by using idioms. Idioms are phrases that mean something different from the words they use. For example, if someone says “head over heels,” they don’t mean they’re standing upside down—they mean they’re deeply in love. These idioms make talking about love more fun and interesting.
In this article, we’ll look at 35 idioms that people use when they fall in love. You might hear these in movies, songs, or even from your friends and family. Each idiom will have a short meaning, examples you can relate to, and some fun facts. Learning them will help you understand what people really mean when they talk about love in a colorful way.
Idioms for Falling in Love
1. Head over heels
Meaning: Very much in love
Example Sentence:
– Jake is head over heels for Mia.
– She’s head over heels for her new crush.
Other ways to say: Deeply in love, crazy about someone
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase has been used since the 1800s to show strong feelings of love.
Usage: When someone falls completely and suddenly in love.
2. Love at first sight
Meaning: Falling in love the first time you see someone
Example Sentence:
– It was love at first sight when they met at the party.
– Mom says she felt love at first sight with Dad.
Other ways to say: Instant love, sudden crush
Fun Fact/Origin: This idea has been around since ancient times and appears in old love stories.
Usage: Used when people feel a strong connection right away.
3. Have a crush on
Meaning: To like someone in a romantic way
Example Sentence:
– Emma has a crush on her classmate.
– I had a crush on a pop star when I was younger.
Other ways to say: Like someone, sweet on someone
Fun Fact/Origin: “Crush” as a love word started being used in the early 1900s.
Usage: When talking about young or first-time feelings of love.
4. Pop the question
Meaning: To ask someone to marry you
Example Sentence:
– Dad popped the question at the beach.
– He popped the question during dinner.
Other ways to say: Propose, ask for their hand
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase has been around since the 1800s.
Usage: Used when talking about marriage proposals.
5. Tie the knot
Meaning: To get married
Example Sentence:
– They tied the knot last summer.
– My cousin is tying the knot next week.
Other ways to say: Get married, walk down the aisle
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from an old wedding tradition of tying hands together.
Usage: Used when talking about weddings.
6. Lovebirds
Meaning: Two people who are clearly in love
Example Sentence:
– The lovebirds couldn’t stop smiling at each other.
– Those two are such lovebirds at lunch every day.
Other ways to say: A couple in love, romantic pair
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from birds that often stay in pairs, like doves.
Usage: Used to describe couples who show affection a lot.
7. Be smitten with
Meaning: To be strongly in love or charmed
Example Sentence:
– She’s smitten with her new boyfriend.
– He was smitten the moment they met.
Other ways to say: Infatuated, totally into
Fun Fact/Origin: “Smitten” means struck—like being struck by love.
Usage: When someone is completely taken by someone else.
8. Fall for someone
Meaning: To begin loving someone
Example Sentence:
– I think she’s falling for him.
– He fell for her during the school play.
Other ways to say: Start loving, grow feelings
Fun Fact/Origin: This shows love as something that happens quickly, like falling.
Usage: When someone begins to have romantic feelings.
9. Be lovestruck
Meaning: Deeply affected by love
Example Sentence:
– He looked totally lovestruck at the dance.
– She was lovestruck when he smiled at her.
Other ways to say: Enchanted, taken by love
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of being “struck” by Cupid’s arrow.
Usage: When love takes over someone’s thoughts.
10. Go steady
Meaning: To be in a serious dating relationship
Example Sentence:
– They’ve been going steady since fall.
– My grandparents went steady in high school.
Other ways to say: Be a couple, in a relationship
Fun Fact/Origin: This was a popular term in the 1950s.
Usage: Used when two people are officially together.
11. Carry a torch for someone
Meaning: Still love someone, often secretly
Example Sentence:
– He carries a torch for his old girlfriend.
– She carried a torch for her friend for years.
Other ways to say: Still has feelings, secretly in love
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from the idea of lighting a flame for love.
Usage: When someone quietly loves another person.
12. Be the apple of someone’s eye
Meaning: To be deeply loved by someone
Example Sentence:
– Her baby brother is the apple of her eye.
– Grandpa says Grandma is the apple of his eye.
Other ways to say: Their favorite, someone very loved
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is from the Bible and old English poetry.
Usage: When someone is very special to another.
13. Have eyes only for
Meaning: To love only one person
Example Sentence:
– He has eyes only for her.
– She had eyes only for her boyfriend at the prom.
Other ways to say: Focused on one love, loyal in love
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is used in love songs and poems.
Usage: When someone ignores others because they love one person.
14. Whisper sweet nothings
Meaning: Say loving, soft words to someone
Example Sentence:
– They whispered sweet nothings during the dance.
– He whispered sweet nothings on their date.
Other ways to say: Speak gently, say cute things
Fun Fact/Origin: “Nothings” means the words don’t matter much—just the feeling.
Usage: Used during romantic moments.
15. Be on cloud nine
Meaning: To be very happy, often because of love
Example Sentence:
– She’s on cloud nine since their first date.
– He was on cloud nine after she said yes.
Other ways to say: Overjoyed, floating with happiness
Fun Fact/Origin: “Cloud nine” means highest level of joy.
Usage: When someone is very happy in love.
16. Take someone’s breath away
Meaning: To amaze someone with beauty or love
Example Sentence:
– Her smile took his breath away.
– The view—and her—took his breath away.
Other ways to say: Dazzle, wow someone
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is used in romantic songs and stories.
Usage: Used when someone is amazed by love or beauty.
17. Have a soft spot for someone
Meaning: To care deeply or love someone
Example Sentence:
– I’ve always had a soft spot for her.
– He has a soft spot for his best friend.
Other ways to say: Likes someone a lot, fond of
Fun Fact/Origin: This shows feelings as soft and warm.
Usage: When someone feels kindness or love for another.
18. Be hit by Cupid’s arrow
Meaning: To fall in love suddenly
Example Sentence:
– It was like Cupid’s arrow hit him.
– She acted like she’d been hit by Cupid’s arrow.
Other ways to say: Fall fast in love, sudden feelings
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the Roman god of love, Cupid.
Usage: Used when love happens quickly.
19. Be lovesick
Meaning: Feeling sad or distracted because of love
Example Sentence:
– He was too lovesick to focus in class.
– She felt lovesick after the weekend apart.
Other ways to say: Heart-heavy, missing someone
Fun Fact/Origin: This word has been used since Shakespeare’s time.
Usage: When someone is upset or dreamy because of love.
20. Be a match made in heaven
Meaning: A perfect couple
Example Sentence:
– Everyone says they’re a match made in heaven.
– Grandma and Grandpa are a match made in heaven.
Other ways to say: Perfect pair, meant to be
Fun Fact/Origin: It suggests the couple is perfect, like chosen by the stars.
Usage: When two people seem perfect together.
21. Be swept off your feet
Meaning: To fall in love very quickly and strongly
Example Sentence:
– She was swept off her feet by his kind words.
– He swept her off her feet with flowers and jokes.
Other ways to say: Fall quickly for someone, charmed completely
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom shows how love can feel like being knocked over.
Usage: When someone is quickly and fully charmed.
22. Puppy love
Meaning: Young or early feelings of love
Example Sentence:
– Their puppy love started in fifth grade.
– That crush was just puppy love.
Other ways to say: Young love, early crush
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom compares young love to the playful behavior of puppies.
Usage: Used for sweet but simple early love.
23. Be all heart
Meaning: To be full of love and kindness
Example Sentence:
– He’s all heart when it comes to her.
– She’s all heart—so caring and loving.
Other ways to say: Very loving, kind-hearted
Fun Fact/Origin: The heart is often seen as the center of love.
Usage: Used for someone very loving in a relationship.
24. Be crazy about someone
Meaning: To really love someone a lot
Example Sentence:
– She’s crazy about her boyfriend.
– He’s crazy about her smile.
Other ways to say: Really likes someone, head over heels
Fun Fact/Origin: “Crazy” shows how love can make people act silly or happy.
Usage: Used when someone is very into someone else.
25. Be the one
Meaning: To be the person you want to be with forever
Example Sentence:
– He knew she was the one.
– She hopes he’s the one.
Other ways to say: Soulmate, perfect person
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in romantic movies and stories.
Usage: When someone believes their partner is for life.
26. Catch someone’s eye
Meaning: To get someone’s romantic attention
Example Sentence:
– He caught her eye at the dance.
– She caught his eye across the lunchroom.
Other ways to say: Attract, stand out
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is also used outside romance to mean getting noticed.
Usage: When someone stands out because of attraction.
27. Get butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: To feel nervous because of love
Example Sentence:
– She gets butterflies around him.
– He had butterflies before their first date.
Other ways to say: Feel nervous, fluttery feeling
Fun Fact/Origin: The feeling is like fluttering wings in your belly.
Usage: When someone feels shy or excited about love.
28. Be in seventh heaven
Meaning: Extremely happy and in love
Example Sentence:
– They were in seventh heaven after the wedding.
– She was in seventh heaven just holding his hand.
Other ways to say: Overjoyed, filled with love
Fun Fact/Origin: “Seventh heaven” comes from old stories about the highest, happiest place.
Usage: When someone feels perfect happiness in love.
29. Warm someone’s heart
Meaning: To make someone feel loved or happy
Example Sentence:
– His letter warmed her heart.
– That hug really warmed his heart.
Other ways to say: Make someone feel loved, touch someone
Fun Fact/Origin: Warmth is linked to love and kindness.
Usage: When an action makes someone feel special.
30. Be an item
Meaning: To be a couple
Example Sentence:
– They’re officially an item now.
– Are those two an item?
Other ways to say: Dating, going out
Fun Fact/Origin: This started as slang in the 1960s.
Usage: When people are known to be together as a couple.
31. Set your heart on someone
Meaning: To choose someone to love deeply
Example Sentence:
– He set his heart on her from the first day.
– She set her heart on marrying him.
Other ways to say: Deeply in love, wish for someone
Fun Fact/Origin: The heart is often used in love idioms.
Usage: When someone decides they love one person fully.
32. Walk on air
Meaning: To feel super happy because of love
Example Sentence:
– He was walking on air after their date.
– She felt like walking on air when he held her hand.
Other ways to say: Floating, overjoyed
Fun Fact/Origin: This shows how love can make you feel light and joyful.
Usage: When someone feels very happy in love.
33. Have your heart skip a beat
Meaning: To feel surprised or excited in love
Example Sentence:
– Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him.
– His heart skipped a beat when she smiled.
Other ways to say: Excited feeling, sudden joy
Fun Fact/Origin: It comes from how the heart reacts to strong emotions.
Usage: When someone gets excited by someone they love.
34. Be under someone’s spell
Meaning: To feel enchanted or controlled by love
Example Sentence:
– He’s under her spell.
– She was under his spell from the moment they met.
Other ways to say: Mesmerized, totally charmed
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from stories where magic spells cause love.
Usage: When someone is strongly attracted and can’t stop thinking about the person.
35. Be madly in love
Meaning: To love someone very deeply and fully
Example Sentence:
– They are madly in love with each other.
– He’s madly in love and talks about her all day.
Other ways to say: Deeply in love, totally taken
Fun Fact/Origin: “Madly” shows how love can feel wild and intense.
Usage: When someone feels huge love that fills their heart and mind.
Quiz: Idioms for Falling in Love
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning for each idiom. Each question has one correct answer. Use what you’ve learned from the idioms to find the best choice.
Question Key
1. What does “head over heels” mean?
A) Upside down
B) Very much in love
C) Running fast
2. If someone says “love at first sight,” what do they mean?
A) They like someone’s clothes
B) They started liking someone after a few months
C) They fell in love the moment they saw someone
3. What does it mean to “pop the question”?
A) Ask a hard math problem
B) Ask someone to marry
C) Ask for help
4. What does “have a crush on someone” mean?
A) Want to play sports with someone
B) Have romantic feelings for someone
C) Want to borrow something
5. If two people are called “lovebirds,” what are they?
A) People who fight often
B) Friends who study together
C) A couple in love
6. What does it mean if someone is “smitten”?
A) Angry at someone
B) Deeply in love or charmed
C) Lost in a store
7. What does it mean to be “swept off your feet”?
A) Knocked over by wind
B) Fall in love quickly and deeply
C) Trip while walking
8. What does “puppy love” mean?
A) Love for animals
B) Early, sweet feelings of love
C) Love that lasts forever
9. If someone is “carrying a torch” for someone, what are they doing?
A) Still have feelings for them
B) Helping with fire safety
C) Playing a sport
10. What does “get butterflies in your stomach” mean?
A) Feel excited or nervous about someone
B) Eat too many snacks
C) Feel sick from a bug
11. What does it mean to be “on cloud nine”?
A) On a tall building
B) Feeling very happy and in love
C) Sleeping late
12. What does “catch someone’s eye” mean?
A) Borrow someone’s glasses
B) Wink at a friend
C) Get someone’s romantic attention
13. What does “madly in love” mean?
A) Angry and in love
B) Very deeply in love
C) In love but confused
Answer Key
- B) Very much in love
- C) They fell in love the moment they saw someone
- B) Ask someone to marry
- B) Have romantic feelings for someone
- C) A couple in love
- B) Deeply in love or charmed
- B) Fall in love quickly and deeply
- B) Early, sweet feelings of love
- A) Still have feelings for them
- A) Feel excited or nervous about someone
- B) Feeling very happy and in love
- C) Get someone’s romantic attention
- B) Very deeply in love
Wrapping Up
Love is a strong feeling that people often explain using special phrases. These idioms help us talk about feelings in fun and simple ways. From being “smitten” to “walking on air,” each idiom shows a different part of falling in love. Learning these can help you better understand what others mean when they talk about love.
Try using some of these idioms when you hear stories, songs, or even movies. It will help you enjoy the meaning more. Love can be tricky to describe, but with these idioms, it becomes a little easier—and more fun too.
