22 LOVE Idioms

22 Love Idioms in English (with Meanings & Examples)

Love is one of the most popular topics in English — in songs, films, books, and everyday conversations. But native speakers rarely talk about love in a simple or direct way. Instead, they use idioms about love and relationships to express feelings more naturally, emotionally, and colourfully. 22 LOVE idioms

If you’re learning English and want to sound more fluent, confident, and natural — especially at B1, B2, or C1 level — learning common love idioms is a fantastic place to start. These expressions appear all the time in real-life conversations, social media, films, and even in Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced).

In this lesson, you’ll learn 22 of the most useful and popular love idioms in English, each with a clear meaning and a natural example sentence. You’ll be able to talk about relationships, dating, marriage, attraction, and romantic problems in a much more native-like way — whether you’re writing a message, telling a story, or preparing for an exam.

So let’s dive in and make your English a little more romantic. 💘

Be an item

Meaning: to be in a romantic relationship.

Ron and Ellen have been an item for quite some time now.

Be smitten

Meaning: to suddenly start loving someone very much.

Rob was completely smitten with Sam from the moment they met.

Carry a torch for someone

Meaning: to secretly love someone (often for a long time).

Did you know David was carrying a torch for Jane back in high school?

Double date

Meaning: a date involving two couples.

Last night, we went on a double date with Sean and Jenny and had dinner in an Italian restaurant.

Fall in love

Meaning: to start loving someone in a romantic way.

Rob fell in love with a girl he met while travelling in Germany.

Get hitched

Meaning: to get married (informal).

What do you say we go to Las Vegas and get hitched?

Have butterflies in your stomach

Meaning: to feel nervous and excited (often because of love).

Mark always has butterflies in his stomach when he sees Monica.

Have a crush on someone

Meaning: to feel romantic attraction to someone (often secretly).

My cousin had a crush on my best friend, so he always found excuses to hang out with us.

Head over heels in love

Meaning: to be completely and deeply in love.

Mark is head over heels in love with Anna.

Love at first sight

Meaning: to fall in love immediately when you first see someone.

When Dan and Laura met, it was love at first sight.

Lovebirds

Meaning: two people who are obviously very much in love.

They sat in the café, holding hands and smiling at each other like two lovebirds.

Love is blind

Meaning: when you love someone, you don’t notice their faults.

Everyone could see he was using her, but she didn’t realise it — love is blind.

Lovey-dovey

Meaning: overly romantic or affectionate (sometimes in a slightly silly way).

Stop all that lovey-dovey behaviour and help me with the dishes!

Love you to the moon and back

Meaning: to love someone very, very much.

I love you to the moon and back.

Match made in heaven

Meaning: a perfect couple.

Everyone says my brother and his wife are a match made in heaven.

Old flame

Meaning: someone you loved or had a relationship with in the past.

He ran into an old flame at a café and they talked for hours.

On the rocks

Meaning: having serious problems (about a relationship).

Their marriage has been on the rocks for months.

Pop the question

Meaning: to ask someone to marry you.

When Ned finally popped the question, Laura said yes immediately.

Puppy love

Meaning: young, not very serious love (usually between teenagers).

It’s probably just puppy love — they’re both only sixteen.

Take someone’s breath away

Meaning: to be so beautiful or impressive that it amazes you.

When he saw her in her wedding dress, she took his breath away.

Tie the knot

Meaning: to get married.

They tied the knot in a small ceremony by the river.

Whisper sweet nothings

Meaning: to speak romantic, affectionate words.

He put his arm around her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

As you can see, English is full of beautiful, funny, and sometimes slightly dramatic idioms for talking about love and relationships. From falling in love and having a crush to tying the knot or being on the rocks, these expressions help you sound more natural, more expressive, and more confident in real conversations.

Try to learn these love idioms in small groups, use them in your own sentences, and notice them in films, series, and songs. The more you see them in context, the more naturally they’ll become part of your English.

If you’re preparing for Cambridge exams (B2 First or C1 Advanced), using idioms like these can make your speaking and writing sound richer and more idiomatic — as long as you use them accurately and appropriately.

And remember: learning English is a bit like love itself — it takes time, patience, and a little bit of passion… but the results are worth it. 😉

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