phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

fall in love

to start loving someone

What it means

To start having strong romantic feelings for someone, usually over a period of time but sometimes suddenly. It can also be used about places, foods, or things you become very enthusiastic about.

Examples

  • They fell in love during their first year at university.
  • I fell in love with Lisbon the moment I arrived.
  • He fell in love with her smile before he even knew her name.
  • She's never fallen in love with anyone the way she did with him.

Where it comes from

Inseparable. Usually followed by 'with' to name the person or thing. The metaphor of 'falling' suggests something involuntary and beyond your control — you don't decide to fall in love, it just happens. The phrase has been used in English since at least the 1500s.

Related phrasal verbs

#break up#make up#settle down#ask for

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