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
His skin-baring role as George of the Jungle in the eponymous 1997 comedy firmly established Fraser as a major '90s heartthrob.
—
Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 3 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
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Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 3 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
See All Example Sentences for heartthrob
Cite this Entry
“Heartthrob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartthrob. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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