What does lovesick mean?
Lovesick describes someone overwhelmed by romantic affection, especially when that feeling becomes distracting, impractical, or slightly ridiculous. The word can be tender and poetic, as when it describes a young person separated from a beloved, or gently humorous, as when it labels someone too infatuated to concentrate. It is not a medical term, and its figurative use suggests both the intensity of romantic feeling and the irrational behavior that may accompany it. In everyday speech, lovesick is often used to characterize people whose thoughts and actions revolve entirely around a romantic interest. In literature and song, it may also evoke longing, separation, and idealization. The word is especially associated with expressions such as “lovesick fool” and “lovesick with love,” where it balances romantic feeling with a suggestion of emotional excess.
adjectiveAffected by an intense, often foolish or overwhelming love for someone. It describes a person who is distracted, emotional, or behaves unusually because of romantic infatuation.
- Affected by intense romantic love or infatuation, often with foolish, dreamy, or distracted behavior.
"The lovesick poet spent every evening writing letters to the woman he adored."
"He was completely lovesick and could think of nothing but her."
"The old song describes a lovesick soldier wandering through the night."
Being lovesick is the romantic equivalent of having every thought arranged in the shape of someone else.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of lovesick
Lovesick is a compound formed from love and sick, using the older figurative sense of being impaired or overwhelmed by a strong emotion. The expression developed from the idea that love can make a person behave as though physically or mentally unwell. Related words such as lovesickness, lovestruck, and lovelorn share this traditional association of romantic emotion with distress, distraction, or longing.
Related word forms
How lovesick is actually used
Lovesick is a figurative, emotionally expressive term. It is common in poetry, songs, and informal or literary prose, and often carries a sympathetic but mildly teasing tone rather than a clinical meaning.
Easily confused with lovesick
Lonesome describes loneliness or a longing for companionship, whereas lovesick specifically describes the emotional effects of romantic infatuation.
Sick means ill in a medical sense, while lovesick is a figurative expression for being overwhelmed by romantic feelings.