heartthrob

noun

Definition of heartthrobnext
as in hero
an attractive and usually famous man He is the latest in a series teen heartthrobs to capture the attention of many adolescents.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heartthrob As Edward Cullen, a vampire blessed with brooding, Byronic good looks, Pattinson captivated audiences, becoming a heartthrob for a rising generation of moviegoers. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 27 Sep. 2026 Harry Styles first played Madison Square Garden at 18, as a heartthrob in a little pop quintet called One Direction. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026 Now, two new heartthrobs of the 2020s have joined the party, with Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie and Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland both buzzing their notable hairstyles in favor of a summery buzz cut. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026 At the season 1 premiere, Blucas reflected on his full-circle journey, from playing teen heartthrobs in the ‘90s on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer to now portraying a dad of teens on My Life With the Walter Boys. — Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heartthrob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartthrob
  1. hero
  2. star
  3. personality
  4. name
Noun
  • Millennials might see the Twisted Teens as spiritual heirs to endearingly insolent post-Y2K garage heroes like Black Lips, the King Khan & BBQ Show, and the Deadly Snakes.
    — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
  • One of the oddest parts of public figure status is becoming friends with your childhood heroes.
    — Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of hero
Noun
  • Antetokounmpo’s Heat co-star Bam Adebayo scored just four points in Monday’s half before going on to finish with 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 shooting on threes, nine rebounds and four assists.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The basketball expert also worked on two books with NBA star Charles Barkley.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of star
Noun
  • In some cases, the contenders have made statements many Jews perceive as antisemitic or who have alliances with personalities known for statements widely viewed as antisemitic.
    — Tovah Lazaroff, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
  • In many ways, the joy of playing Mary is that different actors bring different aspects and personality nuances to the role.
    — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of personality
Noun
  • His name has surfaced repeatedly during the federal case against Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian American whose Miami trial began five weeks ago.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Someone else’s change of plan could put your name on the line.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of name

Browse Nearby Words

heartstrings
heartthrob
heartthrobs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heartthrob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartthrob. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All