Idioms for crush are special phrases that mean something different from what the words say on their own. People use them to make their speaking and writing more colorful, expressive, and fun. In this guide, you will learn many popular expressions that describe having a crush, feeling butterflies in your stomach, or liking someone special.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean falling in love, feeling nervous around someone, and having sweet romantic feelings. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Crush
1. Head over heels
Meaning: Being deeply, completely, and wildly in love with someone.
For Example: Marcus fell head over heels the moment he met his new classmate. / She was head over heels after receiving a sweet handwritten note.
Other Ways to Say: Madly in love / Deeply infatuated
2. Have a crush on
Meaning: Liking someone in a romantic or special way.
For Example: I think my older brother has a crush on the girl next door. / She has had a crush on him since third grade.
Other Ways to Say: Like someone romantically / Have feelings for
3. Butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous, excited, and fluttery inside when you see someone special.
For Example: I get butterflies in my stomach whenever my crush sits next to me in art class. / She felt butterflies in her stomach before saying hello.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling nervous excitement / Fluttery feeling
4. Apple of my eye
Meaning: Someone who is cherished and loved above everyone else.
For Example: His high school crush was the apple of his eye for three years. / She smiled warmly at the boy who was the apple of her eye.
Other Ways to Say: Cherished one / Favorite person
5. Puppy love
Meaning: A sweet, innocent, and youthful romantic crush.
For Example: Their friendship in middle school turned into a classic case of puppy love. / Many people remember their very first puppy love with a smile.
Other Ways to Say: Young affection / Innocent crush
6. Smitten kitten
Meaning: Someone who is completely charmed and fascinated by their crush.
For Example: He acted like a smitten kitten whenever she walked into the room. / She became a smitten kitten after he shared his lunch with her.
Other Ways to Say: Totally charmed / Completely infatuated
7. Soft spot for
Meaning: Having a gentle, special feeling of affection toward a specific person.
For Example: She always had a soft spot for the quiet boy in music class. / He has a soft spot for his lab partner because she is so kind.
Other Ways to Say: Fondness for / Special liking
8. Catch feelings
Meaning: Starting to develop romantic attraction for a friend or classmate.
For Example: Marcus began to catch feelings after working on the science project together. / Be careful not to catch feelings if you want to stay just friends.
Other Ways to Say: Develop a crush / Fall for someone
9. Carry a torch for
Meaning: Continuing to secretly like someone for a very long time.
For Example: He carried a torch for her all through elementary school. / Even after moving away, she carried a torch for her childhood friend.
Other Ways to Say: Secretly love / Harbor feelings
10. Spark between them
Meaning: A special, noticeable feeling of exciting romantic attraction.
For Example: Everyone could tell there was a spark between them during science lab. / An instant spark between them made them talk for hours.
Other Ways to Say: Instant chemistry / Romantic energy
11. Sweet on someone
Meaning: Liking a person deeply in a sweet, gentle way.
For Example: My cousin has been sweet on that boy since summer camp. / She knew he was sweet on her when he saved her a seat.
Other Ways to Say: Fond of someone / Caring for someone
12. Fall head first
Meaning: Falling in love quickly and without holding back any feelings.
For Example: He fell head first for the new girl on the soccer team. / She fell head first after they spent the afternoon talking.
Other Ways to Say: Fall rapidly / Become infatuated fast
13. Fancy someone
Meaning: Finding someone attractive and liking them as a crush.
For Example: Do you fancy anyone in our morning history class? / He fancied her because she always made him laugh.
Other Ways to Say: Like someone / Have a liking for
14. Takes my breath away
Meaning: Making someone feel amazed and stunned by how wonderful they are.
For Example: Her bright smile always takes my breath away. / He was so nice that he took her breath away.
Other Ways to Say: Amazes me / Stuns me
15. Love at first sight
Meaning: Liking or falling for someone the very first second you see them.
For Example: Meeting her at the book fair was love at first sight for him. / She did not believe in love at first sight until yesterday.
Other Ways to Say: Instant connection / Immediate attraction
16. Weak in the knees
Meaning: Feeling so nervous and excited around a crush that your legs feel unsteady.
For Example: His bright blue eyes made her feel weak in the knees. / He went weak in the knees when she waved at him in the hall.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous and excited / Fluttery legged
17. Heart skips a beat
Meaning: Feeling a sudden jump of excitement in your chest when seeing someone.
For Example: My heart skipped a beat when my crush said good morning. / Her heart skipped a beat when he passed her a note.
Other Ways to Say: Heart thumps / Sudden excitement
18. Hit it off
Meaning: Getting along with someone immediately and enjoying their company.
For Example: They hit it off right away during the art group project. / We hit it off at recess and talked about comic books.
Other Ways to Say: Connect instantly / Like each other quickly
19. Sweep off your feet
Meaning: Making someone fall completely in love through charming behavior.
For Example: He swept her off her feet with funny jokes and polite manners. / She was swept off her feet when he dropped off flowers.
Other Ways to Say: Charm completely / Win someone over
20. Stars in your eyes
Meaning: Looking at a crush with dreamy, happy admiration.
For Example: She had stars in her eyes whenever she talked about him. / He walked around with stars in his eyes all afternoon.
Other Ways to Say: Dreamy gaze / Admiring look
21. Blinded by love
Meaning: Liking someone so much that you ignore any small flaws they have.
For Example: He was so blinded by love that he thought all her jokes were hilarious. / Don’t be blinded by love; make sure he treats you nicely.
Other Ways to Say: Overly infatuated / Uncritical affection
22. Have eyes only for
Meaning: Focusing all your romantic attention on just one special person.
For Example: Marcus has eyes only for the new girl in his reading class. / She had eyes only for him throughout the entire dance.
Other Ways to Say: Focus on one / Single-minded affection
23. Main squeeze
Meaning: A fun, informal way to refer to your special crush or partner.
For Example: He invited his main squeeze to sit with us at lunch. / She introduced her main squeeze to her group of friends.
Other Ways to Say: Special someone / Sweetheart
24. Take a shine to
Meaning: Developing a quick, natural liking for a person.
For Example: He took a shine to her as soon as she joined the chess club. / She took a shine to his cheerful personality right away.
Other Ways to Say: Like instantly / Warm up to
25. Moon over someone
Meaning: Spending time daydreaming about your crush constantly.
For Example: Stop mooning over him and focus on your math test. / She spent the whole weekend mooning over her classmate.
Other Ways to Say: Daydream about / Pine for
26. Lovestruck
Meaning: Acting confused, happy, and distracted because you are so in love.
For Example: The lovestruck boy forgot where his locker was located. / She looked completely lovestruck after their long chat.
Other Ways to Say: Infatuated / Smitten
27. Lost in your eyes
Meaning: Being so enchanted looking at someone that you forget everything else.
For Example: He got lost in her eyes and forgot what he was saying. / She was lost in his eyes during their conversation.
Other Ways to Say: Enchanted / Captivated
28. Star-crossed NOT
Meaning: Having a smooth, happy crush that faces no bad luck or obstacles.
For Example: Their sweet romance was simple and definitely not star-crossed. / They shared a happy bond with no star-crossed trouble.
Other Ways to Say: Fortunate crush / Lucky romance
29. Wear your heart on your sleeve
Meaning: Showing your romantic feelings openly so everyone can see them.
For Example: He wears his heart on his sleeve, so we all knew he liked her. / She wears her heart on her sleeve whenever her crush enters.
Other Ways to Say: Show feelings / Be open
30. Head over heels in affection
Meaning: Feeling deeply fond and caring toward a special person.
For Example: She was head over heels in affection for her kind study buddy. / He showed he was head over heels in affection by saving her a seat.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply fond / Highly affectionate
31. Falling for someone
Meaning: Starting to develop strong romantic feelings for a person.
For Example: I think I am falling for the boy who sits in front of me in science. / She realized she was falling for him after his kind words.
Other Ways to Say: Developing love / Growing fond
32. Eye candy
Meaning: Someone who is very handsome or pretty to look at.
For Example: The new runner on the track team was total eye candy. / She admitted her crush was nice eye candy in school photos.
Other Ways to Say: Attractive person / Good-looking someone
33. Love is in the air
Meaning: Feeling a romantic mood or crush energy around a group of people.
For Example: With the school dance coming up, love is in the air. / You could tell love was in the air by all the sweet notes.
Other Ways to Say: Romantic mood / Affectionate feeling
34. Match made in heaven
Meaning: Two people who seem completely perfect for each other.
For Example: Marcus and his crush are a match made in heaven because both love art. / Everyone says those two are a match made in heaven.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect pair / Ideal match
35. Make eyes at
Meaning: Looking at your crush in a playful, flirtatious way across the room.
For Example: He was making eyes at her from across the cafeteria table. / She smiled when she noticed him making eyes at her in class.
Other Ways to Say: Flirt visually / Look lovingly
36. Cast a spell on
Meaning: Charming someone so completely that they cannot stop thinking of you.
For Example: Her lovely singing voice cast a spell on everyone in class. / He felt as if she had cast a spell on him with her kindness.
Other Ways to Say: Enchant someone / Charm deeply
37. Smitten with
Meaning: Feeling deeply captivated, fascinated, and delighted by someone.
For Example: He was smitten with her from the first day of school. / She felt smitten with his polite, funny manners.
Other Ways to Say: Captivated by / Enamored with
38. Heart belongs to
Meaning: Giving all your romantic affection and loyalty to one person.
For Example: Her heart belongs to the boy who helps her practice guitar. / He knew his heart belonged to his longtime best friend.
Other Ways to Say: Devoted to / Loyal affection to
39. Cute as a button
Meaning: Being remarkably sweet, attractive, and charming to look at.
For Example: She thought her crush looked cute as a button in his sweater. / He is cute as a button when he smiles shyly.
Other Ways to Say: Very charming / Adorable
40. Tongue-tied
Meaning: Becoming so nervous around your crush that you cannot speak clearly.
For Example: I got completely tongue-tied when she asked to borrow my pencil. / He gets tongue-tied whenever he tries to compliment her.
Other Ways to Say: Speechless / Nervous speaker
41. Wild about
Meaning: Being extremely enthusiastic, crazy, and excited about someone.
For Example: She is wild about the new boy who joined the drama club. / He was wild about her bright personality and laugh.
Other Ways to Say: Crazy about / Enthusiastic for
42. Crazy about
Meaning: Loving or liking someone to an intense, excited degree.
For Example: Marcus is crazy about his classmate and brings her treats. / She is crazy about him because he is so helpful.
Other Ways to Say: Mad about / Extremely fond of
43. Mad about
Meaning: Having strong, passionate feelings of liking toward someone.
For Example: He is mad about her and talks about her all day. / She was mad about him after he fixed her bicycle chain.
Other Ways to Say: Crazy about / Deeply fond
44. Light of my life
Meaning: A person who brings total brightness, joy, and warmth to your world.
For Example: She told her crush that his cheerful laugh was the light of her life. / He viewed his special friend as the light of his life.
Other Ways to Say: Source of joy / Sunshine
45. On cloud nine
Meaning: Feeling extremely happy, floated, and excited because your crush likes you.
For Example: She was on cloud nine after he agreed to partner for science. / He was on cloud nine when she gave him a compliment.
Other Ways to Say: Overjoyed / Elated
46. Walking on air
Meaning: Feeling so happy and joyful about a crush that you feel weightless.
For Example: After holding hands, he spent the rest of the day walking on air. / She walked on air after receiving a note from her crush.
Other Ways to Say: Floating with joy / Overjoyed
47. Heart-throb
Meaning: A very handsome or popular person whom many people have crushes on.
For Example: The lead singer of the school band was a total heart-throb. / He became the class heart-throb after scoring the winning goal.
Other Ways to Say: Popular crush / Attractive person
48. Secret admirer
Meaning: Someone who likes you romantically without revealing their name.
For Example: She received a sweet card from a secret admirer on Valentine’s Day. / He wondered who his secret admirer could be.
Other Ways to Say: Anonymous fan / Hidden crush
49. Lovey-dovey
Meaning: Showing romantic affection in an obvious, sweet, and soft way.
For Example: The two classmates got all lovey-dovey during project work. / Don’t get too lovey-dovey while sitting at the family table.
Other Ways to Say: Overly affectionate / Sweetly romantic
50. Spark of attraction
Meaning: A small, initial feeling of interest and romantic curiosity toward a person.
For Example: A sudden spark of attraction made her blush during recess. / He felt a spark of attraction when they shared a book.
Other Ways to Say: Initial interest / Gentle attraction
51. Head over heels in love
Meaning: Being completely, deeply, and foolishly overwhelmed with love.
For Example: He was head over heels in love and brought her favorite snack. / She went head over heels in love after working together.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply in love / Completely smitten
52. Have a thing for
Meaning: Having a clear, specific romantic interest in a person.
For Example: I think Marcus has a thing for the girl who plays soccer. / She has a thing for boys who play guitar well.
Other Ways to Say: Liking someone / Possessing an interest
53. On top of the world
Meaning: Feeling victorious, proud, and happy after a positive moment with a crush.
For Example: Sitting next to her made him feel on top of the world. / She felt on top of the world when he smiled at her.
Other Ways to Say: Triumphant / Overjoyed
54. Melt your heart
Meaning: Causing someone to feel deep tenderness, affection, and sweetness.
For Example: His shy smile was enough to melt her heart completely. / Her kind gesture toward the puppy melted his heart.
Other Ways to Say: Touch deeply / Warm your heart
55. Warm fuzzies
Meaning: A comfortable, sweet, and happy physical feeling caused by affection.
For Example: Getting a compliment from her crush gave her warm fuzzies inside. / He felt warm fuzzies when she shared her umbrella.
Other Ways to Say: Gentle warmth / Cozy affection
56. Cupboard love NOT
Meaning: Having genuine, sincere feelings for a crush rather than wanting a gift.
For Example: Her feelings were real, definitely not cupboard love for his toys. / He liked her for who she was, not out of cupboard love.
Other Ways to Say: Genuine affection / True feelings
57. Set heart on
Meaning: Deciding firmly that someone is the special person you want to like.
For Example: He set his heart on asking her to the school spring dance. / She set her heart on becoming good friends with her crush.
Other Ways to Say: Focus on / Choose as favorite
58. Blinded by passion
Meaning: Becoming so focused on a crush that you lose track of everyday duties.
For Example: He was blinded by passion and missed his bus stop after school. / She was blinded by passion during art practice.
Other Ways to Say: Overly focused / Completely distracted
59. Float on cloud nine
Meaning: Experiencing deep, dreamlike joy because of romantic feelings.
For Example: Hearing his voice made her float on cloud nine all afternoon. / He floated on cloud nine after receiving her friendly text.
Other Ways to Say: Feel extreme joy / Dreamy happiness
60. Lovey-dovey feelings
Meaning: Sweet, gentle, and tender romantic emotions toward someone special.
For Example: Writing a poem brought out all her lovey-dovey feelings. / He tried to hide his lovey-dovey feelings around his friends.
Other Ways to Say: Tender affection / Sweet emotions
Exercise to Practice
- Marcus fell head over ________ in love with his new classmate.
- I get butterflies in my ________ whenever my crush walks past my desk.
- She has had a ________ on him since they met at summer camp.
- My little sister is loved by everyone and is the apple of my ________.
- Their sweet friendship in elementary school was just puppy ________.
- He acted like a smitten ________ whenever she smiled in his direction.
- I think I am starting to catch ________ for my science project partner.
- He carried a ________ for her throughout all of middle school.
- Everyone noticed a bright ________ between them during the group presentation.
- I get completely tongue-________ whenever I try to speak to my crush.
- Meeting her at the school book fair was love at first ________.
- Her shy, sweet smile made him go weak in the ________.
- My heart skipped a ________ when he sat down next to me at lunch.
- She was on cloud ________ after he agreed to go to the dance with her.
- Getting a sweet note from her crush gave her warm ________ inside.
Answer Key
- heels
- stomach
- crush
- eye
- love
- kitten
- feelings
- torch
- spark
- tied
- sight
- knees
- beat
- nine
- fuzzies
Conclusion
Learning idioms for a crush is a wonderful way to expand your vocabulary and describe sweet, romantic feelings. These expressive phrases help make your everyday speech, creative writing, and personal journals far more colorful, warm, and engaging.
Try using a few of these romantic idioms the next time you talk about a special feeling or write a creative story. Incorporating these fun expressions into your daily language will boost your communication skills and help your writing shine!
