fall in love
Definition
Verb: * To begin to experience romantic love or strong affection for someone: This phrase describes the process of developing deep, typically romantic, feelings for another person. It implies a transition from not being in love to being in love.
Usage
- This verb phrase is intransitive and is almost always followed by the preposition "with" to specify the object of affection.
- It describes a process or event, not a continuous state. The continuous state is described by "to be in love."
- Structure: Subject + fall in love + with + [person/thing].
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "to fall in love at first sight": to begin to love someone immediately upon meeting them for the first time.
- It was a classic case of falling in love at first sight.
- "to fall head over heels in love": to fall in love completely, passionately, and without restraint.
- She fell head over heels in love with the new artist in town.
Variants and Related Words
- In love (adjective phrase): Describes the state of loving someone romantically.
- They have been in love for decades.
- Lovestruck (adjective): Overwhelmed by feelings of love, often appearing dazed or infatuated.
- He's been lovestruck ever since he met her.
Synonyms
- Become enamored (of/with): A more formal way to say "fall in love."
- Develop feelings (for): A more general phrase that can indicate the beginning of romantic affection.
Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions
- Fall for (someone): An informal synonym for "fall in love with."
- He fell for his best friend's sister.
- Fall out of love (with someone): To cease having romantic feelings for someone; the opposite of "fall in love."
- Over time, they simply fell out of love.
Related Idioms
- To have a crush on someone: To have a temporary, often intense but not deeply established, infatuation with someone. This is typically a precursor to or a milder form of "falling in love."
- She has a crush on her chemistry lab partner.
Verb
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begin to experience feelings of love towards
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She fell in love with her former student
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