as in heroes
an attractive and usually famous man
He is the latest in a series teen heartthrobs to capture the attention of many adolescents.
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Recent Examples of heartthrobs
The two heartthrobs have also become fashion icons in their own right.
—
Dalila Muata, NBC news, 5 May 2026
Stars gleam and fade away fast, but the statues of two heartthrobs who died young and left good-looking corpses have lasted decades after their deaths.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
As the New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan has written, the Oscars’ infamous bias against young men is essentially a bias against heartthrobs — the more an actor appeals to young women, the more likely the largely male, largely middle-aged membership of the Academy is to write him off as a lightweight.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
In reality, the shirtless twunk heartthrobs are Tim Nelson and Sam Netterfield of the indie-pop group Cub Sport, using this opportunity to shed the trappings of a decade-long career.
—Reanna Cruz, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Flirty Refresher Drinks Dunkin’s Valentine’s Day Refreshers are total heartthrobs.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2026
Hollywood heartthrobs also came dressed to impress on the red carpet in updated takes on classic suiting with glitzy accessories.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
The company continued to cast former teen icons, including 2000s heartthrobs Chad Michael Murray and Jesse Metcalfe, to draw in younger viewers.
—Molly Liebergall, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
After starring alongside Hollywood heartthrobs like Martin Sheen, Mel Gibson, and Sam Shepard, Sissy Spacek knows a thing or two about heating up the silver screen.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Dalila Muata, NBC news, 5 May 2026
Stars gleam and fade away fast, but the statues of two heartthrobs who died young and left good-looking corpses have lasted decades after their deaths.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
As the New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan has written, the Oscars’ infamous bias against young men is essentially a bias against heartthrobs — the more an actor appeals to young women, the more likely the largely male, largely middle-aged membership of the Academy is to write him off as a lightweight.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
In reality, the shirtless twunk heartthrobs are Tim Nelson and Sam Netterfield of the indie-pop group Cub Sport, using this opportunity to shed the trappings of a decade-long career.
—Reanna Cruz, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
Flirty Refresher Drinks Dunkin’s Valentine’s Day Refreshers are total heartthrobs.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2026
Hollywood heartthrobs also came dressed to impress on the red carpet in updated takes on classic suiting with glitzy accessories.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
The company continued to cast former teen icons, including 2000s heartthrobs Chad Michael Murray and Jesse Metcalfe, to draw in younger viewers.
—Molly Liebergall, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
After starring alongside Hollywood heartthrobs like Martin Sheen, Mel Gibson, and Sam Shepard, Sissy Spacek knows a thing or two about heating up the silver screen.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartthrobs
Noun
-
Over the years, Riley had added to his lineup of heroes.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
But the public shouldn’t have to hope for heroes to rush in and rescue them from a hail of bullets.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Kofman’s article chronicles the path of such ideas from the fringes to the mainstream, outlining their influence on figures such as Peter Thiel, Stephen Miller, and Elon Musk.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
State Department figures show 6,066 — or 99% — of the refugees were from South Africa, while the other three hailed from Afghanistan.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Today’s Hollywood stars — Taylor Russell, Greta Lee, Anya Taylor-Joy, Alison Oliver, Jisoo, Maude Apatow, Jeff Goldblum, Sabrina Carpenter, to name a few — were in attendance.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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The Ducks have high-ceiling youngsters blossoming into stars who should be the nucleus of future playoff teams.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartthrobs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartthrobs. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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