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Falling in love is undeniably a wonderful thing. All you need to do to get a feel for how important love can be is to turn on the radio and listen to the flood of love songs you’ll hear on the air.
Unsurprisingly, something that most people experience at least once in their lives is called by many names. We’ve collected slang words for love and related to the process of falling in love in this guide.
If love ever doesn’t feel like a good fit for what you’re feeling, it’s entirely possible one of these phrases will.
Slang Words for Love (in Alphabetical Order)
A
Ask Out
Meaning:
- (Verb): The act of inviting someone to go out with you for a romantic date. It can sometimes also mean that you’re asking someone to become your boyfriend or girlfriend.
- Example: “I’m planning on asking Beth out tomorrow night.”
Read More: Slang Words for Girlfriend
B
Bromance
Meaning:
- (Noun): Love doesn’t have to be romantic, as phrases like “bromance” prove. This word combines “bro” and “romance” to indicate a close platonic relationship between two men.
- Example: “I have a bromance going with Ed. He’s my best friend.”
More Like This: Slang Words for Friends
C
Carry a Torch for
Meaning:
- (Verb): To have a crush on someone.
- Example: “Rob carries a torch for Dan, but he won’t tell him.”
Crush
Meaning:
- (Verb): Having romantic feelings and attachment to someone without being in a relationship with them. Usually the earliest stage in romantic feelings.
- Example: “I have a huge crush on Dan, but I don’t know how to let him know!”
- (Noun): An individual you’re deeply attracted to.
- Example: “Rob is my crush.”
E
Elephant Shoes
Meaning:
- (Expression): Another way of saying, “I love you.” If you mouth “elephant shoes” at someone, it looks like you’re mouthing “I love you,” which is where the phrase comes from.
F
Falling in Lust
Meaning:
- (Verb): To develop an attraction to someone based purely on sexual desires.
- Example: “She fell in lust with Ben but didn’t know anything about him. She just thought he was hot.”
Flove
Meaning:
- (Verb): To F***ing love something. It’s an extremely enthusiastic way of saying you love something, essentially.
- Example: “I flove my boyfriend. He’s so freaking amazing.”
You May Also Like: Slang Words for Boyfriend
G
Go Out With
Meaning:
- (Verb): To meet someone for a date. It can also mean that you are in a relationship with someone.
- Example: “I’ve been going out with Jamie for a year.”
H
Head Over Heels for
Meaning:
- (Phrase): This is sort of like “to carry a torch for,” but a little bit deeper. Saying this implies that you are in love with someone.
- Example: “I’m head over heels for Becky. She’s all I think about.”
I
ILY/ILU
Meaning:
- (Phrase): Acronym for “I love you.” Generally only used in text messages.
ILYSM
Meaning:
- (Phrase): Acronym for “I love you so much.” Use it in text format, like with ILY.
L
L-Bomb
Meaning:
- (Noun): A love confession.
- Example: “He dropped the l-bomb on me this weekend. I’m not sure how I feel about it, since it was only our first date…”
LOML
Meaning:
- (Phrase): Acronym for “love of my life.” This is a title you can give to your significant other or someone you’re deeply in love with. Use this in text form rather than saying it out loud.
- Example: “My wife is the LOML.”
Love Lockdown
Meaning:
- (Noun): The state of having hidden your feelings from someone for various reasons.
- Example: “I’m in love lockdown. I can’t tell her I love her if I don’t know whether she feels the same way.”
Love Triangle
Meaning:
- (Noun): A situation in which one person is the object of affection for two different people who compete for their heart.
- Example: “Amber is in a love triangle because both Alex and Diane have a crush on her.”
Lovebird
Meaning:
- (Noun): Someone who is in love and very affectionate with another person. Usually used in the plural sense with two people being obviously affectionate towards one another.
- Example: “Look at those two lovebirds – they can’t stop staring at each other.”
Lovey Dovey
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Behaving in a way that’s very romantic and cheesy with someone.
- Example: “Can you guys stop acting all lovey dovey in front of me? I don’t want to be a third wheel.”
Luv
Meaning:
- (Verb): An alternate way of spelling love.
- Example: “Would you like it if I said I luv you?”
- (Noun): A pet name for someone.
- Example: “How did you sleep last night, luv?”
O
Olive Juice
Meaning:
- (Phrase): Another phrase that looks like “I love you” when silently mouthed.
P
Puppy Love
Meaning;
- (Noun): A state of emotion in which you think you’re in love with someone, but you don’t know them well enough yet to truly love them. This is usually reserved for young kids and teenagers experiencing their first crushes.
- Example: “She’s not really in love with him – it’s just puppy love.”
R
Rawr
Meaning:
- (Phrase): Comes from an old meme that has its origins in the emo subculture. The joke is that it’s the dinosaur word for “I love you.”
- Example: “Rawr <3 It’s dinosaur for ILY.”
S
Smitten
Meaning:
- (Adjective): The state of having a crush on or being romantically interested in someone.
- Example: “Dan is secretly smitten with Rob.”
Super Like
Meaning:
- (Verb): To love or really like someone.
- Example: “He super likes Mexican food.”
T
True Love
Meaning:
- (Noun): This can refer to the state of being deeply in love with someone or the person you’re in love with. Regardless, it implies that the feelings involved are genuine and permanent.
- Example: “Andrea is my one true love. I will never want anyone else.”
W
Wuv
Meaning:
- (Verb): Another way of spelling and pronouncing love.
Wrap Up
If you’re searching for a new way to spice up your next Valentine’s day or date, there are quite a few phrases on this list to choose from. Use whichever one catches your eye to impress the apple of your eye.
Need more words and terms to flatter someone with? You can also take a look at our guide to New York slang words for beautiful.