“Love is all you need.”

The Beatles

There are billions of people in the world and, hopefully, all of them have felt fondness or love for someone at least once in their life. It is hopeful because, as the inimitable Ms. Alicia Keys puts it, “when everybody loves someone, there’s nothing to fear”…

See the lyrics here.

So let’s have a look at some synonyms for “love” because, as we all know, feelings and emotions differ:

Word	Definition	Example
Fondness (for sb./sth.)	affection or liking for someone or something	Your fondness for animals is praiseworthy.
Affection (for sb./sth.)	a gentle feeling of fondness or liking	She is worried that if she shows her affection, he’ll make fun of her.
Infatuation (with sb./sth.)	an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something	Don’t develop an infatuation with this man or your heart will be broken.
Attachment (to sb./sth.)	affection, fondness, or sympathy for someone or something	Such a close attachment is so romantic.
Passion (for sb.)	intense sexual love	Their passion for each other was fiery but short-lived.
Attraction (to sb./sth.)	the action or power of evoking interest in or liking for someone or something	I hope your attraction to each other is mutual.

ACTION IDIOMS

To have a crush on sb. – to be in love with somebody but not to have a relationship with them:

• She has a crush on her classmate but doesn’t know how to tell him about it.

To be hung up on sb. = to be head over heels in love with sb. = to have the hots for sb. – to be madly in love with somebody:

• I was hung up on him at university but my feelings were not mutual.
• When you are head over heels in love with someone, you feel like you are capable of anything!
• I really have the hots for Tom – he is so handsome and smart!

To find your Mr/Ms Right – to meet the best possible partner who you’d like to marry and live all your life with:

• I hope I will find my Mr Right someday.

To patch up a relationship/marriage/things – to make up after a quarrel with your partner:

• There are quarrels in any relationship but it’s important to be able to patch it up.

To pop the question – to propose marriage:

• When he popped the question, she was excited.

To tie the knot – to get married (to sb.):

• Some people dream to tie the knot in one of Las Vegas chapels.

NOUN IDIOMS

Blind date – a date with a person you haven’t met before:

• I think a blind date could be fun.

Those three little words – I love you:

• Tell me those three little words and I’ll be happy all day long.

A match made in heaven – a match/couple who are destined to be together:

• They are a match made in heaven.

Love on the rocks – if your romantic relationship is on the rocks, it experiences difficulties and is likely to fail:

• Sadly, our love is on the rocks and we don’t trust each other as we used to.

Love rat – a man who is unfaithful to his wife or girlfriend:

• She left him because he was such a love rat.

Lovey-dovey [ˌlʌvɪ’dʌvɪ] couple – very affectionate or romantic couple:

• This lovey-dovey couple are going to tie the knot soon.

Puppy love – intense but relatively shallow romantic attachment, associated with adolescents:

• It’s just a puppy love which they will forget about in a week or two.

LOVE PROVERBS

Love is blind – if you love someone, you cannot see any faults in that person: She doesn’t understand what kind of person he is – love is blind!

All is fair in love and war – there are no means which you should avoid in order to fight for your love: He pinched (= stole) his best friend’s girlfriend – all is fair in love and war.

Love will find a way – there is no way to stop love – it will overcome any obstacles: Don’t try to stop them from seeing each other – love will find a way.

Love makes the world go round – life is more pleasant when people treat each other lovingly: Love makes the world go round and that’s wonderful.

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