Idioms about love are used in English to talk about both the positive and negative sides of being in love or in a relationship. You may have heard some common love idioms like ‘fall in love’ and ‘love at first sight’, but there are many more that are not so well-known.
Take a look at this list of love idioms and their meanings so you can be more confident using them yourself.
Also note that we’re mainly referring to love in the sense of relationships and dating. Most of these idioms would not be appropriate for describing the love a parent has for their child, for example.
Idioms about falling in love
Let’s begin with some love idioms that relate to the first stage of a relationship.
Fall in love
Falling in love is the process of beginning to feel like you love someone. If you already love them, you can say you have fallen in love with them.
“Jason and I have been friends for years but I think I’m finally falling in love with him.”
Fall for
Another way to say fall in love with is fall for.
“I fell for you the moment I saw you.”
Have the hots for
Slightly stronger in meaning, to have the hots for someone means to be sexually attracted to them.
“I have the hots for a guy at work but I’m too shy to make the first move.”
We have another article that covers more meanings of the word hot, as well as some hot idioms.
Love at first sight
We talk about love at first sight when two people fall in love as soon as they see or meet each other.
“We could all tell it was love at first sight when Jerry met Asha.”
If you are in this situation and you want to describe how attractive someone is, perhaps some of these beautiful idioms will help.
Have a crush on
If you have a crush on someone, it means you find them attractive (often to the point of infatuation).
“Have you got a crush on someone?”
In British English, you could also say that you fancy someone.
Go out with
The phrasal verb go out with means ‘date’.
“I’ve been going out with Elaine for 3 months and it’s going really well.”
This expression is most often used in British English.
You can check out some more idioms about relationships and dating – these cover the good and bad sides of romance!
Idioms about being in love
Once you have fallen in love, you’ll need some more love idioms to describe how you’re feeling. These idioms about happiness might also come in handy.
Madly in love
To be madly in love means to be completely infatuated or feeling a very strong sense of love.
“Adrian must be madly in love with you; I can tell from how he treats you.”
This is one of the love idioms which would be ok to use when talking about parental love. A new mum could be madly in love with her newborn baby.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Sometimes, spending time away from someone can make you fall deeper in love with them, and that’s what this heart idiom alludes to (or is it more of a proverb?). Tell someone that absence makes the heart grow fonder if you want to reassure them that time apart from their loved one will strengthen their relationship in the end.
“I know three months seems like a long time, but absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Get confused about apart from vs a part from? We’ve got you covered.
Loved-up (British)
We could describe a couple as loved-up when they are clearly expressing love towards each other.
“The loved-up couple are planning to get married next year.”
Note that in American English, loved-up can be associated with a feeling from drug use. So, be careful when you use this love idiom!
Head over heels in love
If you are strongly in love with someone you can say you are head over heels in love with them.
“It looks like Jessica has fallen head over heels in love with Ahmed.”
You can check out more idioms with parts of the body in our separate article, and even some more head phrases.
Have eyes only for someone
When you are completely besotted with someone you may say that you have eyes only for that person, meaning that you wouldn’t be interested in anyone else.
“It’s clear that they have eyes only for each other.”
You can also say only have eyes for someone.
Made for each other
Two people who are a perfect match can be described as made for each other.
“It’s lovely to see a couple who are so obviously made for each other.”
A match made in heaven
Similarly, you can describe a couple as a match made in heaven when they seem just perfect for each other.
We could also use this idiom to describe two inanimate objects that go very well together.
“Vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce are a match made in heaven.”
One and only
When you describe someone as your one and only it means that they are the only person you will ever love.
More love idioms and their meanings
Finally, we have a few more love idioms that aren’t about falling or being in love, but still deserve a mention on this list.
Puppy Love
Puppy love is a teenage infatuation; an adolescent exploration into love which is probably not going to last long.
“Bridget and I started dating when we were both 17. Everyone thought is was just puppy love, but we proved them wrong!”
Discover more dog idioms and expressions involving other animals in our separate guides.
Love nest
A love nest is the home of two people who are in love, especially in the earlier stages of their relationship.
“After getting married, they bought an apartment and turned it into a little love nest.”
This phrase can also refer to a place where lovers go when they are having an affair.
No love lost
This is not really an idiom about love; in fact quite the opposite! We say there is no love lost between two or more people or groups when they actually do not like each other at all.
“There is no love lost between Kyle and his brother.”
We can also say little love lost to mean the same thing.
Love is blind
The saying love is blind means that when you are in love with someone, you tend to overlook their faults. This may be considered a good thing or a bad thing!
“They say that love is blind, but I still have my limits!”
And that’s all for this list of love idioms and their meanings. We hope you found it helpful. If you’re in love with someone and considering proposing marriage to them, you might find these marriage idioms helpful.
If there are any other idioms about love you can think of then please leave a comment below to share them.
What if I love someone and I know they like me but I don’t know what to say