heartthrob

noun

heart·​throb ˈhärt-ˌthräb 

1

: the throb of a heart

2

a

: sentimental emotion : passion

b

: sweetheart

also : a usually renowned man (such as an entertainer) noted for his sex appeal

teen heartthrobs

Examples of heartthrob in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Elordi, of course, is a tall Hollywood heartthrob whom audiences around the same age as Paltrow's kids were first introduced to through his roles in Netflix's rom-com series The Kissing Booth, which began before Euphoria shot him to further stardom on HBO. —Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025

Superfans of The Holiday can now rent out a replica of the quaint English cottage where fictional Hollywood bigwig Amanda Woods (played by Cameron Diaz) was charmed by heartthrob British book editor Graham (played by Jude Law). —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

Bailey, who rose to international fame in Netflix’s Bridgerton and recently starred in the wildly popular Wicked franchise, embodies a figure that was not so many years ago considered implausible in mainstream media—a gay heartthrob. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

Petsch will play Veronica, a straight-A student determined not to fall for college heartthrob Caleb (Casalegno) and become his next conquest, even after a chance encounter sparks an undeniable attraction between the two of them. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heartthrob

• kebab
• nawab
• blob
• bob
• cob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• knob

Kids Definition

heartthrob

noun

heart·​throb -ˌthräb 

1

: the throb of a heart

2

: a sentimental emotion : passion

b

: sweetheart

also : an attractive and usually famous man