Idioms are special phrases where the words together mean something different from what they say one by one. People use them to make talking and writing much more colorful, fun, and expressive. In this article, you will learn fifty fun idioms that people use when they have a crush on someone.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean having strong romantic feelings for another person. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Crush
1. Head over heels
Definition: Being completely and deeply in love or infatuated with someone.
Used in a Sentence: Mark has been head over heels for Maya ever since she shared her crayons with him. / You can tell he is head over heels because he smiles every time her name comes up.
Similar Expressions: Smitten / Falling hard
2. Butterflies in the stomach
Definition: Feeling nervous and excited excitement in your belly when you are near your crush.
Used in a Sentence: Chloe gets butterflies in the stomach whenever Leo walks past her locker. / I always have butterflies in my stomach right before I say hello to my crush.
Similar Expressions: Nervous jitters / Fluttery tummy
3. Carry a torch
Definition: Having unrequited romantic feelings for someone who might not notice you back.
Used in a sentence: Sam has been carrying a torch for his lab partner all semester long. / It is hard to keep carrying a torch when the other person does not even know your name.
Similar Expressions: Secretly pining / Longing from afar
4. Apple of my eye
Definition: Someone who is cherished above all others and holds a very special place in your heart.
Used in a sentence: Grandpa always told Grandma she was the apple of his eye. / When Oliver looks at his sweetheart, it is clear she is the apple of his eye.
Similar Expressions: Favorite person / Prized treasure
5. Puppy love
Definition: Young, innocent, and temporary romantic feelings often felt by teenagers or kids.
Used in a sentence: Their parents just smiled and called it cute puppy love when they held hands. / Do not worry too much about puppy love because feelings change a lot when you grow up.
Similar Expressions: Schoolyard crush / Young infatuation
6. Love at first sight
Definition: Falling instantly for someone the very first time you lay eyes on them.
Used in a sentence: He knew it was love at first sight the moment she walked into the art studio. / Storybooks always talk about love at first sight, but real affection usually takes time to grow.
Similar Expressions: Instant spark / Immediate attraction
7. Swept off your feet
Definition: Being suddenly and overwhelmingly charmed or romanced by someone new.
Used in a sentence: Jessica was completely swept off her feet by his kind words and funny jokes. / He hoped to sweep her off her feet with a surprise bouquet of wildflowers.
Similar Expressions: Charmed completely / Won over fast
8. Knocked for a loop
Definition: Being so stunned by someone’s beauty or charm that you do not know what to do.
Used in a sentence: Liam was knocked for a loop when the new student smiled at him in the hallway. / That dazzling smile really knocked me for a loop today.
Similar Expressions: Left speechless / Stunned by charm
9. Stuck on someone
Definition: Being unable to stop thinking about a specific person you like.
Used in a sentence: Maya is totally stuck on that boy who plays guitar in the talent show. / I have been stuck on him all week, and I cannot focus on my homework.
Similar Expressions: Fixated on / Hooked on
10. Floating on air
Definition: Feeling extremely happy, light, and joyful because of someone’s attention.
Used in a sentence: She was floating on air after her crush waved at her in the cafeteria. / Winning the game was great, but talking to her had him floating on air all afternoon.
Similar Expressions: Walking on clouds / Over the moon
11. Struck by lightning
Definition: Experiencing a sudden, powerful wave of romantic attraction out of nowhere.
Used in a sentence: He felt like he was struck by lightning when she sat next to him on the bus. / Meeting her for the first time felt just like being struck by lightning.
Similar Expressions: Hit by a bolt / Sudden spark
12. Soft spot
Definition: Having a special and tender feeling of affection for a particular person.
Used in a sentence: Ethan has always had a soft spot for the girl who sits behind him in math class. / Mom knows Dad has a soft spot for anyone who brings home stray puppies.
Similar Expressions: Tender regard / Warm spot in heart
13. Heart skips a beat
Definition: A brief moment of intense surprise and excitement caused by seeing your crush.
Used in a sentence: My heart skips a beat every single time he calls my name. / Her heart skipped a beat when he unexpectedly sat down at her lunch table.
Similar Expressions: Breath taken away / Sudden flutter
14. Tied up in knots
Definition: Feeling anxious, nervous, and tangled inside because you want to impress someone.
Used in a sentence: His stomach was tied up in knots before he asked her to the school dance. / Talking to your crush can leave your nerves tied up in knots.
Similar Expressions: Knotted up / Jittery inside
15. Eye candy
Definition: Someone who is extremely attractive to look at, though you might not know them well.
Used in a sentence: All the students agreed that the new transfer student was total eye candy. / She blushed when her friends teased her about staring at the neighborhood eye candy.
Similar Expressions: Gorgeous looker / Stunning sight
16. Lost for words
Definition: Being unable to speak or stuttering because your crush is standing right in front of you.
Used in a sentence: Lucas was totally lost for words when she complimented his new sneakers. / Whenever she says hi, I am suddenly lost for words.
Similar Expressions: Tongue tied / Speechless
17. Burning a hole in my heart
Definition: Having intense feelings for someone that you keep hidden and desperately want to share.
Used in a sentence: Keeping his crush a secret felt like a burning a hole in his heart all semester. / That hidden affection was burning a hole in his heart until he finally confessed.
Similar Expressions: Burning desire / Secret yearning
18. Smitten kitten
Definition: A playful way to describe someone who is acting silly and affectionate because of a crush.
Used in a sentence: Look at Noah acting like a smitten kitten every time she shares her notes. / She turned into a smitten kitten the moment he offered to carry her books.
Similar Expressions: Hopeless romantic / Love struck
19. Mooning over someone
Definition: Spending all your time daydreaming and gazing off into space while thinking about your crush.
Used in a sentence: Stop mooning over pictures of him in your yearbook and finish your science project. / She spent the whole weekend mooning over the text messages he sent her.
Similar Expressions: Daydreaming about / Gazing at
20. Heart on your sleeve
Definition: Showing your romantic feelings openly so that everyone around you knows you like someone.
Used in a sentence: Ryan wears his heart on his sleeve, so everyone knew he liked her right away. / It is brave to wear your heart on your sleeve even if you are scared of rejection.
Similar Expressions: Open book / Transparent feelings
21. Starry eyed
Definition: Looking at someone with an expression of pure adoration, wonder, and romance.
Used in a sentence: Clara looked completely starry eyed while listening to him talk about his favorite hobbies. / Do not get too starry eyed before you really get to know what he is like.
Similar Expressions: Adoring gaze / Wide eyed wonder
22. Gone on someone
Definition: Having a strong, noticeable crush on a classmate or friend.
Used in a sentence: Everyone in the fifth grade knew that Leo was gone on the new art teacher’s assistant. / If you are gone on him, you should just invite him to play basketball with us.
Similar Expressions: Crushing hard / Taken with
23. Walking on sunshine
Definition: Feeling radiant, energetic, and joyful because your crush smiled at you.
Used in a sentence: After she said hello, he felt like he was walking on sunshine all day long. / You look like you are walking on sunshine today, did something great happen?
Similar Expressions: Radiantly happy / On top of the world
24. Chasing rainbows
Definition: Trying to win the heart of someone who is completely out of your league or uninterested.
Used in a sentence: His friends told him he was just chasing rainbows trying to get her attention. / Do not waste time chasing rainbows when there are nicer people right in front of you.
Similar Expressions: Impossible pursuit / Unattainable goal
25. Pins and needles
Definition: Feeling anxious and suspenseful anticipation while waiting to see if your crush likes you back.
Used in a sentence: I have been on pins and needles waiting for her reply to my message all evening. / Waiting for the school dance invitation left him on pins and needles.
Similar Expressions: Tense anticipation / On edge
26. Cupid’s arrow
Definition: Being suddenly struck by the feeling of falling for someone unexpectedly.
Used in a sentence: It felt like Cupid’s arrow hit him straight in the chest when she laughed at his joke. / Once Cupid’s arrow hits you, it is hard to think about anything else.
Similar Expressions: Struck by love / Sudden hit
27. Mad about someone
Definition: Being passionately and intensely fond of another person.
Used in a sentence: He has been mad about her since they worked together on the school play. / Grandma still remembers how mad about her Grandpa was when they were teenagers.
Similar Expressions: Crazy about / Wild for
28. Swept away
Definition: Getting completely carried away by romantic daydreams about someone special.
Used in a sentence: She got swept away by the romantic story and started imagining her own crush in it. / Do not get swept away by daydreams and forget to study for your test.
Similar Expressions: Carried away / Lost in thought
29. Falling for you
Definition: The gradual process of developing strong romantic feelings for someone you spend time with.
Used in a sentence: After hanging out every weekend, he realized he was slowly falling for her. / It starts as a simple friendship and turns into falling for you before you know it.
Similar Expressions: Developing feelings / Catching feelings
30. Wreathed in smiles
Definition: Having a huge, joyful grin on your face every time your crush enters the room.
Used in a sentence: Her face was wreathed in smiles when he walked over to her desk. / You could tell he liked her because his face was always wreathed in smiles around her.
Similar Expressions: Beaming brightly / Grinning ear to ear
31. Dazzled by someone
Definition: Being so impressed by someone’s personality or looks that you lose your focus.
Used in a sentence: Mason was completely dazzled by her performance in the school choir. / I was so dazzled by his kindness that I forgot to introduce myself properly.
Similar Expressions: Blinded by charm / Captivated completely
32. Lost in her eyes
Definition: Staring deeply into your crush’s eyes and forgetting everything else around you.
Used in a sentence: He got completely lost in her eyes while they were talking about their favorite books. / When you are lost in her eyes, time seems to stand completely still.
Similar Expressions: Spellbound gaze / Deeply focused
33. Heart skips a beat
Definition: Experiencing a sudden jolt of excitement when your crush acknowledges you.
Used in a sentence: My heart skips a beat whenever he shares his lunch with me. / Her heart skipped a beat when he asked to borrow her green highlighter.
Similar Expressions: Pulse races / Sudden thrill
34. Wrapped around your finger
Definition: Being so deeply infatuated that you will do almost anything to please your crush.
Used in a sentence: He is completely wrapped around her finger and agrees to carry her backpack every day. / She has him wrapped around her finger just by smiling at him nicely.
Similar Expressions: Under a spell / Totally controlled
35. Over the moon
Definition: Experiencing extreme joy and excitement because your crush talked to you.
Used in a sentence: Ben was over the moon when she invited him to join her study group. / We were over the moon when our favorite classmate finally sat with us.
Similar Expressions: Thrilled to pieces / Ecstatic
36. Walking on air
Definition: Feeling light, happy, and euphoric because of a positive romantic encounter.
Used in a sentence: She has been walking on air since he complimented her science project. / That sweet note left him walking on air for the rest of the school day.
Similar Expressions: Sky high / Floating happily
37. Star crossed
Definition: Describing a crush or romance that feels fated or destined by the universe.
Used in a sentence: They joked that they were star crossed lovers because they both missed the exact same bus. / It felt like a star crossed meeting when they both reached for the same library book.
Similar Expressions: Fated match / Destined pair
38. Breath taken away
Definition: Being temporarily shocked and amazed by how wonderful your crush looks or acts.
Used in a sentence: My breath was taken away when she walked out on stage in her glittering costume. / His kind gesture left her breath taken away for a moment.
Similar Expressions: Shocked by beauty / Stunned silent
39. Drawn to someone
Definition: Feeling an invisible magnetic pull that makes you want to be near your crush.
Used in a sentence: She felt naturally drawn to him because they shared the exact same sense of humor. / There is something special about him that keeps drawing me to his table.
Similar Expressions: Pulled toward / Magnetically attracted
40. Moonstruck
Definition: Acting a little bit silly or dreamy because you are deeply infatuated with someone.
Used in a sentence: He walked right into a locker door because he was acting completely moonstruck today. / Stop looking so moonstruck and pay attention to the math lesson.
Similar Expressions: Dreamy headed / Lovestruck goof
41. Sweet on someone
Definition: A classic, old fashioned way of saying you have a crush on someone.
Used in a sentence: My grandfather used to tell stories about being sweet on my grandmother in high school. / Everyone could tell that Caleb was sweet on the new girl in chorus class.
Similar Expressions: Fond of / Keen on
42. Heart goes out
Definition: Feeling deep sympathy and affection for someone you care about deeply.
Used in a sentence: My heart goes out to him whenever he looks nervous giving a presentation. / Her heart went out to her crush when he dropped his lunch tray on the floor.
Similar Expressions: Feeling for / Sympathetic care
43. Enchanted by someone
Definition: Feeling as though your crush has put a magical spell of attraction on you.
Used in a sentence: Arthur was completely enchanted by her lovely singing voice during music class. / We were all enchanted by his polite manners and brilliant storytelling.
Similar Expressions: Spellbound / Captivated
44. Tickled pink
Definition: Being very pleased, amused, and happy about a small gesture from your crush.
Used in a sentence: She was tickled pink when he chose her to be his partner in science lab. / He was tickled pink when she laughed at his silly drawing.
Similar Expressions: Delighted / Overjoyed
45. Walking on clouds
Definition: Feeling buoyant and carefree due to pleasant thoughts about your crush.
Used in a sentence: Leo was walking on clouds after she gave him a high five in the hallway. / Thinking about her upcoming date had him walking on clouds all morning.
Similar Expressions: Cloud nine / Floating high
46. Burning up
Definition: Feeling flustered, warm, and nervous when your crush stands too close to you.
Used in a sentence: When he stood right next to her, she felt like she was burning up from shyness. / My cheeks were burning up when he winked at me across the room.
Similar Expressions: Flushing red / Turning hot
47. Heart in your throat
Definition: Feeling a sudden wave of extreme nervousness when you are about to speak to your crush.
Used in a sentence: I had my heart in my throat when I walked up to invite her to the party. / Whenever he looks my way, my heart jumps right into my throat.
Similar Expressions: Nerves acting up / Panicked swallow
48. Smitten by charm
Definition: Being completely captured by someone’s pleasant and friendly personality.
Used in a sentence: She was totally smitten by his charming manners when he held the door open. / He was smitten by her friendly smile the very first day of school.
Similar Expressions: Won over / Charmed instantly
49. Light up the room
Definition: The way your crush makes everything feel brighter and happier just by walking in.
Used in a sentence: Whenever she smiles, she truly seems to light up the whole classroom. / His funny personality can light up the room and make everyone feel welcome.
Similar Expressions: Brighten the day / Bring sunshine
50. Lost in a daze
Definition: Being unable to focus because your mind is wandering back to thoughts of your crush.
Used in a sentence: He stared out the window in a daze, thinking about the note she passed him. / She walked around in a dreamy daze all afternoon after he said goodbye.
Similar Expressions: Daydreaming / Absent minded
Exercise to Practice
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Answer Key
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Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps you understand stories, songs, and everyday conversations much better when people talk about romance. They give you fun, colorful ways to describe those exciting feelings of liking someone special.
Try picking one or two of these expressions to use when chatting with your friends today. Practicing them in real life is the best way to make them part of your everyday vocabulary!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for a crush?
Some very popular idioms include having butterflies in the stomach, being head over heels, and carrying a torch. People use these fun phrases all the time in books, movies, and daily chats to describe romantic feelings.
Why do we use idioms in English?
Idioms make our language much more colorful, interesting, and fun to listen to. Instead of using plain words, idioms let us paint a clear picture in the listener’s mind.
How can I remember these idioms easily?
The best way to remember them is to use them in real sentences or write little stories with them. Connecting an idiom to a fun memory or movie scene also helps it stick in your mind.
Are idioms for a crush used by kids and adults?
Yes, people of all ages use these expressions in everyday conversation. Kids use them in school stories, while adults use them in books, songs, and movies.
Can an idiom mean more than one thing?
Most idioms have one main accepted meaning, but the exact feeling can vary slightly depending on the context. Paying attention to how the phrase is used in a sentence helps you understand its exact vibe.
