Meaning & use
throes of passion
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseliterary
A state of intense romantic or sexual excitement in which someone loses control of their feelings.
Grammar: Used mainly after 'in': in the throes of passion. Do not say 'a throes of passion' — the plural throes is fixed.
Patterns
- in the throes of passion
The novel's lovers meet in the throes of passion and forget everything else.
He wrote her a letter the morning after they had been in the throes of passion.
In the throes of passion, people often say things they later regret.
phrasefixed phraseliteraryfigurative
A period of very strong, uncontrollable emotion of any kind, such as anger or enthusiasm.
Grammar: This looser use appears in phrases like 'in the throes of anger'; it is less common than the sexual sense.
Patterns
- in the throes of something
In the throes of anger, she threw the glass across the room.
The crowd was in the throes of excitement when the band appeared.
Common combinations
- in the throes of passion
- They were in the throes of passion when the phone rang.
- the throes of passion
- The film shows the throes of passion without ever being explicit.
- a moment of passion
- It was just a moment of passion; neither of them expected it to last.
- in the throes of
- The country is in the throes of a difficult change.
Synonyms and how they differ
- passion
- Passion alone means the strong feeling itself, while 'throes of passion' suggests being overcome by it and unable to control yourself.
- ecstasy
- Ecstasy is a very intense feeling of happiness or pleasure; it can describe sexual pleasure but does not carry the idea of struggle that 'throes' does.
- heat
- In informal use 'heat' means sexual excitement or the mating period of animals, but it is much less literary than this phrase.
Word family
- throe noun
- A single sharp pain or struggle; usually found in the plural form throes.
- passionate adjective
- Showing or feeling strong emotion or sexual desire.
- passion noun
- A very strong feeling of love, anger, or enthusiasm.
Commonly confused: throes of passion or throws? throes of passion or in the midst of?
throes of passion vs throws
'Throws' is the verb meaning to send something through the air; 'throes' is a noun meaning a violent struggle or strong feeling. They sound the same, so check the spelling.
throes of passion vs in the midst of
'In the midst of' means 'in the middle of' an event or activity and is neutral; 'in the throes of' adds the idea of intense emotion or struggle.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses the idiom correctly.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'in the throes of passion' with the plural 'throes' and the preposition 'in'. 'A throes' is wrong because throes is plural, and 'on/at the throes' are not used with this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “throes of passion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.