heartthrob
AmericanUsage
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.
Etymology
Origin of heartthrob
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.
James Van Der Beek, best known as the sensitive heartthrob star of TV show “Dawson’s Creek,” died Wednesday at age 48, his publicist confirmed.
Lanky heartthrob Jacob Elordi, up for best supporting actor, offered a similarly toned down vibe at an impromptu photo shoot.
From Barron's
He might have appeared on Michael McIntyre's Big Show, but Buckinghamshire-born Nash jokes that he is also well known for simply being an "Instagram heartthrob".
From BBC
Co-star Dylan O’Brien also proves himself once again to be one of the best actors of his generation: a former teen heartthrob who now operates more like a chameleonic character actor.
From Los Angeles Times
Once regarded as the band’s kid brother — not to mention its youthful heartthrob — Weir became a whiskery symbol of the Dead’s unrivaled endurance.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
