Language tip of the week: love

In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about love:

When you love someone very deeply, it feels as if you are physically weak or falling over. The effect that an attractive person has on you is like being hit or knocked over by them:

Just looking at him makes me go weak at the knees.
I fell for Molly in a big way.
Do you remember the first time you fell in love?
I’d never met anyone like Jack – he just swept me off my feet.
I was bowled over by his charm and good looks.
Anyone can see they’re head over heels in love.
That girl is an absolute knockout.
He’s drop-dead gorgeous.
He’s always had a bit of a weakness for brunettes.
She felt helpless with desire.

Sexual love is like fire or heat:

Their new singer’s really hot.
I bumped into an old flame yesterday.
It was a fiery, passionate relationship.
His touch inflamed her senses.
She gave him a smouldering look.
His eyes burned with desire.
The movie includes some steamy sex scenes.
Sara felt herself melting into his arms.