20 English Idioms of Love

Have you ever fallen head over heels in love with somebody (developed strong feelings of love for somebody very quickly) and ended up living happily ever after (having a satisfying long-term relationship) with them? Do you believe that absence makes the heart grow fonder (your love intensifies after time apart from your loved one) and that everybody can find their soulmate (somebody that truly knows and understands them)? Do you get on like a house on fire (enjoy a good relationship) with your partner?

Whatever your current relationship status, this handy list of 20 English idioms of love will help you better understand common English expressions about love!

[Click here to learn more about how to use idioms in teaching English.]

Watch the related video below to get more definitions and examples:

1. idiom: have a crush on sby [somebody]

literal meaning: be attracted to sby.

example: ‘Did you know that Ginny’s got a crush on Dave?’ ‘I know! She’s been following him around like a lost puppy all day.

2. idiom: be hung up on sby

literal meaning: spend all your time thinking about sby in a romantic way.

example: ‘I can’t stop thinking about Liam.’ ‘Don’t get too hung up on him, dear. I’ve heard he’s already got a girlfriend.’

3. idiom: carry a torch for sby

literal meaning: love sby without them knowing, especially a former lover.

example: ‘Yes, Ronald still carries a torch for his ex-wife – despite that horrendous divorce.’

4. idiom: have a thing about sby

literal meaning: have feelings of attraction towards sby which are inexplicable.

example: ‘Joanne’s Canadian husband is kind of weird-looking, but he’s cute.’ ‘I know what you mean. But then I’ve always had a thing about Canadian guys.’

5. idiom: fall (head over heels) in love with sby

literal meaning: go from feelings of attraction to intense love for sby over a short period of time.

example: ‘We met in 2004 at a water park in Manila. We spent the rest of the holiday together and ended up falling head over heels in love with each other.’

6. idiom: be love at first sight

literal meaning: love sby after the first meeting.

example: ‘I met your father at the McDonalds in Charing Cross. I was wearing heels and a tight pink sweater. He was wearing his uniform. It was love at first sight.’

7. idiom: be made for each other

literal meaning: be a perfectly matched couple.

example: ‘Yes, Arnold and Mandy are a great couple. They really are made for each other.’

8. idiom: be a match made in heaven

literal meaning: be a perfectly matched couple.

example: ‘Leanne and Michael just seem like the perfect couple.’ ‘I know. They must be a match made in heaven.’

9. idiom: take sby’s breath away

literal meaning: make sby gasp in surprise or delight, especially due to a beautiful sight

example: ‘Whenever I see you, my darling, you take my breath away.’

10. idiom: only have eyes for sby

literal meaning: only be attracted to one particular person.

example: ‘I’ve seen you looking at other girls, Larry.’ ‘Nonsense, Janet. I only have eyes for you.’ ‘My name isn’t Janet.’

11. idiom: absence makes the heart grow fonder

literal meaning: spending time apart from your loved one(s) makes you love them more.

example: ‘I really miss Tom. I can’t wait for him to come home. Do you think he’ll still feel the same about me?’ ‘Well, you know what they say – absence makes the heart grow fonder.’

12. idiom: worship the ground sby walks on

literal meaning: adore sby completely and unconditionally.

example: ‘I don’t think Karl really cares about Mary, you know?’ ‘What? Are you kidding?! He worships the ground she walks on.’

13. idiom: sing sby’s praises

literal meaning: praise sby highly.

example: ‘I just ran into Graham at the store. He was singing your praises. He seems totally into you.’ ‘I know. He’s cute, but I’m not sure we’re meant to be.’

14. idiom: be the apple of sby’s eye

literal meaning: be beloved by somebody.

example: ‘Looks like Terry loves reading stories to his little daughter.’ ‘Yes, you can see that she’s the apple of his eye.’

15. idiom: get on like a house on fire

literal meaning: have a fantastic relationship.

example: ‘My parents have always got on like a house on fire, but lately I can sense some tension between them.’

16. idiom: be like two peas in a pod

literal meaning: be very similar to your partner, with identical tastes, views, dress sense, etc.

example: ‘Alan and his wife Jackie are absolutely inseparable, aren’t they? They’re so similar in almost every way.’ ‘Yes, they’re like two peas in a pod.’

17. idiom: find your soulmate

literal meaning: find the one person in the world who truly knows and understands you.

example: ‘I dream about finding my soulmate, but at fifty-five I fear I might be too old.’ ‘Don’t give up hope, Brenda.’

18. idiom: stick together through thick and thin

literal meaning: stay together and face life’s highs and lows as a team.

example: ‘Laura and Adam have had so many ups and downs in their relationship.’ ‘I know, but they’ve always managed to stick together through thick and thin.’

19. idiom: love conquers all

literal meaning: love triumphs over any problem or disaster.

example: ‘I think it’ll be too difficult to go through counselling with Ben. I can’t see our marriage surviving that.’ ‘Try to keep your head up. Love conquers all. Believe it.’ ‘OK. I’ll try.’

20. idiom: live happily ever after

literal meaning: live together in harmony for the rest of your life, e.g. after getting married.

example: ‘When I was younger, I always dreamed about meeting the perfect man, getting married, and living happily every after.’ ‘And now?’ ‘I still believe it.’

This material is completely  free to use, so please feel free to share it widely!

If you have any feedback about these free resources, we’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment or review below or on Facebook or Twitter.

Get the latest education news from Teacher Toolkit:

Images by Monicore from Pixabay