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Synonyms

lovesick

American  
[luhv-sik] / ˈlʌvˌsɪk /

adjective

  1. languishing with love.

    a lovesick adolescent.

  2. expressive of such languishing.

    a lovesick note.


lovesick British  
/ ˈlʌvˌsɪk /

adjective

  1. pining or languishing because of 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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of lovesick

First recorded in 1520–30; love + sick 1

Explanation

When someone's lovesick, they are broken-hearted or so distracted by love that it affects their daily life. You might be lovesick if your love took off for Bali (unless of course you have plans to take off for Bali too). There are many different reasons for being lovesick: a lovesick boy might have a crush on a girl who barely notices him, and a lovesick teenager could be overwhelmed by feeling such strong emotions for the first time. Your grandmother's collection of old letters might include the ones she wrote as a new, lovesick wife when your grandfather was in the Army. Lovesick dates from the sixteenth century.

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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.

Her mega-viral single, the lovesick folk ballad from 2024, “Sailor Song,” had topped the U.K. singles chart and earned more than 1 billion streams on Spotify.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

One 25-page text seen by AFP suggested workers adopt the persona of "Abby", a lovesick 35-year-old Japanese woman.

From Barron's • Oct. 14, 2025

And while Cecil was lovesick, Penelope was apparently sick of love.

From BBC • Aug. 2, 2025

Inside the envelope was a short, lovesick note.

From New York Times • Mar. 20, 2024

Make her read every page covered with me hoping and wishing and begging like some lovesick puppy.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

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