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.
Heartthrob Justin Bieber recalled once making a mistake that made a date turn out not-so-great.
From Fox News • Feb. 20, 2021
Tegan and Sara’s 2013 LP Heartthrob is one of this decade’s most impressive pop albums, and you can hear its influence in everything from Taylor Swift’s 1989 to Carly Rae Jepsen’s E•MO•TION.
From The Verge • Apr. 8, 2016
Jepsen logged studio time with Swedish powerhouse Max Martin, Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Greg Kurstin, who produced the bulk of Tegan and Sara’s Heartthrob as well as recent records from Lily Allen and Sia.
From Time • Mar. 6, 2015
Although the song failed to chart in the UK, its parent album, Heartthrob, was the band's first to trouble the top 40, reaching number 38 in February last year.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2014
Heartthrob Pattinson plays high finance wonderkid Eric Packer, obsessed with the idea of crossing New York during heavy traffic and roadblocks to get a haircut.
From Reuters • May 25, 2012
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.
