Meaning & use
puppy dog love
Last updated
Meanings
phraseuncountableinformaldisapproving
A strong but shallow romantic feeling, like the innocent affection a young person feels before real love.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun phrase: it was just puppy dog love.
Patterns
- be just puppy dog love
- a case of puppy dog love
They say they will marry, but everyone thinks it is just puppy dog love.
Her first boyfriend was a case of puppy dog love that lasted one summer.
phraseuncountableinformal
The simple, warm affection that a puppy shows to its owner.
Grammar: Also uncountable; often used literally about animals.
Patterns
- show someone puppy dog love
- full of puppy dog love
The little dog greeted her with pure puppy dog love.
After a long day, his puppy dog love made him smile.
Common combinations
- just puppy dog love
- Don't worry, it's just puppy dog love.
- a case of puppy dog love
- Their romance was a case of puppy dog love.
- pure puppy dog love
- The puppy showed pure puppy dog love.
Synonyms and how they differ
- infatuation
- Infatuation is stronger and more serious; puppy dog love sounds more innocent and temporary.
- crush
- A crush is a brief liking for someone; puppy dog love suggests a relationship, not just a feeling.
Opposites
Commonly confused: puppy dog love or puppy love?
puppy dog love vs puppy love
Puppy love is the more common phrase for young, temporary romance; puppy dog love is a longer variant with the same meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'puppy dog love' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase describes a kind of romance, so 'Their relationship was just puppy dog love' fits. It is uncountable, so 'a puppy dog love' and 'are always' are wrong; and it does not mean a shared interest in music.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “puppy dog love”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.