love at first sight

Idioms

An instantaneous attraction to someone or something. For example, With Peter and Constance, it was a case of love at first sight, or When Dave saw that car, it was love at first sight. This expression was already used by Chaucer for romantic attraction in Troilus and Cressida: “She loved right from the first sight.” The transfer to objects dates from the first half of the 1900s.

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.

It was love at first sight, an experience the now-63-year-old says he hadn’t had before—and hasn’t since.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

It’s so recognizable because that’s always what love at first sight is.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

It was love at first sight for Adarsh Ramchurn.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

A 97-year-old woman who met her husband on a train on VE Day exactly 80 years ago has said it was "love at first sight".

From BBC • May 8, 2025

Mom always tells me it was love at first sight.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

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