Heartthrob
n.joyful, energeticplayful
What it means
A person who attracts widespread romantic admiration, often through public image.
Reach for it when describing popular attraction in light entertainment copy without objectifying the person
The former teen heartthrob returned as the thoughtful director of a small ensemble.
Choose between these
6- playful
crush
one person's romantic attraction is being named
not when A crush is the feeling or its object, not necessarily a widely admired public figure.
- playful
deliberately old-fashioned flirtatious praise fits the voice
not when Dreamboat is dated and focuses almost entirely on appearance.
- everyday
idol
intense admiration from fans is the main fact
not when Idol can concern talent, politics, or status without romantic attraction.
- professional
romantic lead
the person's role in a story is more relevant than real-life attraction
not when A romantic lead may not be a public heartthrob outside the work.
- literary
matinee idol
classic screen or stage celebrity is the context
not when The phrase is historically marked and wrong for most modern figures.
- literary
pinup
public image and visual desirability are historically relevant
not when Pinup reduces the person to an image and can feel objectifying.
Said against
3- turnoff
- unknown figure
- unpopular figure
It naturally appears in
3- teen heartthrob
The teen heartthrob used the interview to credit the full dance company.
- unlikely heartthrob
The gentle radio host became an unlikely heartthrob among listeners.
- former heartthrob
A former heartthrob now produces documentaries about rural theaters.
Where this comes from
Heartthrob can objectify people. Prefer role, craft, or achievement when appearance is not genuinely relevant.
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: a person regarded as very attractive or romantically desirable opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.