heartthrob
Americannoun
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a rapid beat or pulsation of the heart.
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a passionate or sentimental emotion.
Usage
What does heartthrob mean? A heartthrob is someone, especially a pop culture figure, who is considered an object of romantic desire. Traditionally, the word has been almost exclusively applied to young men. The word is especially used in the phrase teen heartthrob, referring to a young person, especially a musician or actor, who is the object of teenagers’ romantic affection, especially that of teenage girls. Teen heartthrobs are sometimes teenagers themselves, though they’re often in their 20s or sometimes even older. This popular sense of heartthrob comes from the use of the word to mean a sweetheart—someone’s romantic partner. Less commonly, heartthrob can be used as another word for a rapid heartbeat. Based on this meaning, it can also be used figuratively to refer to a passionate emotion. Neither of these senses are commonly used anymore. Example: Every generation has a heartthrob idolized for their good looks, talent, and charismatic personality.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of heartthrob
Explanation
A heartthrob is someone, usually a hunky guy, who is so attractive that he makes our hearts throb in our chests. A heartthrob is often someone famous like a movie star. The word heartthrob has been used to describe someone who makes people feel romantic since the 1920’s. It’s officially gender neutral, but it usually describes a man. Heartthrobs are movie stars, musicians or any celebrity that people want to smooch. It could also be the cute high school football player that all the girls have crushes on. The first cited heartthrob (1839 in the OED) was simply "a pulsation of the heart." It wasn't long till this morphed into something that causes the heart to throb (perhaps abnormally so), and soon thereafter, into someone who causes the heart to throb with desire and longing: that's what we usually mean by heartthrob today.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Back to the recluse thing: There’s a funny contradiction in that you’re also the heartthrob in Radiohead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The former Radio Disney teen heartthrob, raised Mormon and now openly gay, trades the bruised introspection of 2023’s “Calico” for songs that exult in desire on his new album, “Sweet Fortune.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
They came of age when Orlando Bloom’s Legolas, kitted out in a blond wig, armor and prosthetic pointy ears, was a teen heartthrob.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
Former Big Brother heartthrob Alex Sibley shot to fame in the 2002 series, appearing with housemates Jade Goody and Alison Hammond.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
“Milez with a z is supposed to be the teen heartthrob all the girls love, and one of Dad’s next cash cows.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
These days there’s no keeping Hollywood’s gay icons and hetero heartthrobs apart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
The pair of ’80s pop rock heartthrobs dish about their decades-old friendship before taking the stage together for three nights of acoustic concerts in SoCal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2025
In a pre–social media era, eating alongside Indiana Jones’ whip or the steering wheel from Titanic was about as close as you could get to your favorite cinematic heroes and heartthrobs.
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2024
There is something quite bold about telling people you look like someone famous - especially if your supposed doppelganger is one of the world’s biggest heartthrobs.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2024
"What? Has love gone from the world? Are there no more heartthrobs left? No screen goddesses to adore or cheerleaders to pine for?"
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
