puppy love

American

noun

temporary infatuation of a boy or girl for another person.

puppy love British

noun

another term for calf love

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

puppy love Idioms

Also, calf love. Adolescent love or infatuation, especially one that is not expected to last, as in Beth is besotted with him, but we think it's just puppy love, or He's got a bad case of calf love. [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

puppy love

The same month she and DDG sparked pregnancy rumors, Halle said her relationship with the rapper was more than just puppy love.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2024

Initially it was puppy love, with four-month-old Davy getting along well with his adopted siblings and seemingly enjoying the limelight.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2023

“Show a little puppy love to your pet and take it out of the carrying case,” Farbstein said.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 24, 2023

“How old were you when you realized you could do that to people,” I asked, having melted into a puddle of puppy love.

From New York Times ● May 25, 2022

“He really did. It wasn’t—it wasn’t puppy love or anything,” she added, as if I didn’t know that.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023