limerence
noun/ LIM-er-ents /
An intense, involuntary state of infatuation — the constant replaying of every text, the way their name appearing on your phone makes your whole nervous system malfunction. Different from love because it feeds on uncertainty.
In a sentence
"What she felt wasn't love — it was limerence, raw and exhausting, built entirely on unanswered questions."
Bex's take
I once spent forty-five minutes analyzing whether someone put a period at the end of a text on purpose. That was limerence. That was embarrassing. I've healed.
Where it comes from
Coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in her 1979 book Love and Limerence. She needed a word with no prior associations to describe this very specific psychological state.
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What does limerence mean?
An intense, involuntary state of infatuation — the constant replaying of every text, the way their name appearing on your phone makes your whole nervous system malfunction. Different from love because it feeds on uncertainty.
How do you pronounce limerence?
limerence is pronounced /LIM-er-ents/.
How do you use limerence in a sentence?
What she felt wasn't love — it was limerence, raw and exhausting, built entirely on unanswered questions.
Where does limerence come from?
Coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in her 1979 book Love and Limerence. She needed a word with no prior associations to describe this very specific psychological state.