Mary was John's heartthrob all through high school.
Source: tatoeba (31943)
Heartthrob
/ˈhɑɹtˌθɹɑb/
Synonyms for "heartthrob" (57 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (12)
Strong matches (17)
drummingemotionemotional chargeemotional shadeexperiencefeelingfeeling toneflameflutterforebodinggut reactionheartbeathoneyimpression
Related words (28)
lovepalpitationpassionpitapatpitter patterpitter-patterpresentimentprofound sensepulsationpulserat-a-tatrataplanreactionresponserhythmsensationsensesentimentstaccatosweetheart
Show 5 more words
Noun(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: adonises, affect, affection, arrhythmia, beat.
- Sentence evidence is available for heartthrob, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "heartthrob".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "heartthrob"
Keep "heartthrob" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "heartthrob" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "heartthrob", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "heartthrob" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
4 entriescampus heartthroblocal heartthrobmovie starpop idol
Collocations
5 entriesaging heartthrobfilm heartthrobmusic heartthrobpopular heartthrobteen heartthrob
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
3 total sentences available.
For his first state visit to China, South Korean President Moon Jae-in came with an entourage of more than 300 business people, an actress who is wildly popular here and heartthrob boy band EXO, which sings in both Korean and Chinese.
Source: tatoeba (11678582)
And really, Michael Jackson is a more fitting aspiration for the similarly sexless would-be-former teen heartthrob, who’s compared himself to the late King Of Pop (perhaps a bit prematurely) on several occasions and sings in a Jackson-like croon over a sample of “We’ve Got A Good Thing Going” on Believe’s “Die In Your Arms.”
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "heartthrob"?
Closest matches include adonises, affect, affection, arrhythmia, beat.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "heartthrob"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.