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
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Countless cultures have imprinted their own cultural beliefs in the constellations, seeing mighty heroes, fantastic beasts and eclectic objects in the stars.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 May 2026
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Superheroes aren't superhuman Gorsuch wants young people to know that heroes aren't superhuman.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
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On-pitch leadership from figures like James, Colwill and Fernandez will also help.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Task force member and history professor Bob Weinberg pushed back, saying reassessing historical figures is part of the academic process.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 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 16 May. 2026.
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