Passion means caring deeply about something. It can be about music, sports, reading, or helping others. When people talk about passion, they sometimes use special expressions called idioms. These idioms don’t always mean exactly what the words say, but they help show strong feelings in fun or interesting ways.
In this article, you’ll learn idioms that people use to talk about passion. Each one will include a short meaning and an example to help you understand it better. These phrases can make your speaking and writing more lively. Let’s look at some of the most common ones and what they mean.
Idioms for Passion
1. Burn with passion
Meaning: To feel very strong excitement or love for something.
Sample Sentences: She burns with passion for playing the piano. / He burns with passion whenever he talks about soccer.
Other Way to Say: Feel very excited / Love deeply
2. Heart on fire
Meaning: To have strong feelings or desire for something or someone.
Sample Sentences: His heart was on fire when he started his art project. / She had her heart on fire for helping others.
Other Way to Say: Strong feelings / Deep desire
3. Follow your heart
Meaning: To do what you really want or love.
Sample Sentences: I decided to follow my heart and join the dance team. / He followed his heart and became a chef.
Other Way to Say: Listen to yourself / Do what you love
4. Fire in the belly
Meaning: Having a strong drive to achieve something.
Sample Sentences: She has fire in her belly to win the race. / He showed fire in his belly during the school play.
Other Way to Say: Strong motivation / Great determination
5. Love with all your heart
Meaning: To love someone or something completely.
Sample Sentences: She loves her dog with all her heart. / I love reading with all my heart.
Other Way to Say: Love deeply / Care a lot
6. Put your heart into it
Meaning: To do something with a lot of effort and care.
Sample Sentences: He put his heart into painting the picture. / She put her heart into writing the story.
Other Way to Say: Work hard / Try your best
7. Head over heels
Meaning: To be very much in love or excited about something.
Sample Sentences: He was head over heels for his new video game. / She fell head over heels for her new puppy.
Other Way to Say: Very in love / Super excited
8. Passion runs deep
Meaning: Having strong feelings that last a long time.
Sample Sentences: Her passion runs deep for helping animals. / His passion for soccer runs deep.
Other Way to Say: Strong feelings / Lasting love
9. On fire for
Meaning: To be very excited or enthusiastic about something.
Sample Sentences: The team is on fire for the big game. / She’s on fire for learning new things.
Other Way to Say: Very excited / Full of energy
10. Live and breathe
Meaning: To think about something all the time because you love it.
Sample Sentences: He lives and breathes basketball. / She lives and breathes music.
Other Way to Say: Love completely / Always think about
11. Fire up
Meaning: To get excited or motivated.
Sample Sentences: The coach fired up the players before the game. / She fired up her friends to join the fundraiser.
Other Way to Say: Get excited / Get motivated
12. Wild about
Meaning: To be very fond or enthusiastic about something.
Sample Sentences: He’s wild about skateboarding. / She’s wild about science experiments.
Other Way to Say: Really like / Crazy about
13. Pour your heart out
Meaning: To share your feelings honestly and with emotion.
Sample Sentences: She poured her heart out in her diary. / He poured his heart out to his best friend.
Other Way to Say: Share feelings / Be honest about feelings
14. Catch fire
Meaning: To suddenly become very popular or exciting.
Sample Sentences: His idea caught fire at school. / The new song caught fire with the students.
Other Way to Say: Become popular / Get exciting
15. Blow your mind
Meaning: To surprise or excite someone a lot.
Sample Sentences: The magic show blew my mind! / Her singing blew our minds.
Other Way to Say: Amazed / Really impressed
16. Have a soft spot for
Meaning: To have a special liking or love for someone or something.
Sample Sentences: I have a soft spot for puppies. / She has a soft spot for old stories.
Other Way to Say: Like a lot / Feel fond of
17. Light a fire under someone
Meaning: To make someone feel motivated or eager to do something.
Sample Sentences: The teacher lit a fire under the class to finish their project. / His coach lit a fire under him before the game.
Other Way to Say: Motivate someone / Push to work hard
18. Burning desire
Meaning: A very strong wish or want to do something.
Sample Sentences: She has a burning desire to become a writer. / His burning desire is to travel the world.
Other Way to Say: Strong wish / Deep want
19. Spark a passion
Meaning: To start a strong interest or love for something.
Sample Sentences: The science fair sparked a passion for experiments in her. / The book sparked his passion for history.
Other Way to Say: Start love / Begin interest
20. Full of fire
Meaning: To be full of energy and strong feelings.
Sample Sentences: The young athlete was full of fire before the race. / She is full of fire when she speaks about animals.
Other Way to Say: Energetic / Very excited
21. Heart and soul
Meaning: To do something with complete care and effort.
Sample Sentences: He plays the piano with heart and soul. / She studies with heart and soul to get good grades.
Other Way to Say: With all effort / Completely devoted
22. Set your heart on
Meaning: To decide that you want something very much.
Sample Sentences: She set her heart on getting the lead role in the play. / He set his heart on winning the race.
Other Way to Say: Really want / Decide to get
23. Passionate about
Meaning: To feel very strong and excited about something.
Sample Sentences: She is passionate about painting. / He’s passionate about basketball.
Other Way to Say: Love a lot / Very excited about
24. Give it your all
Meaning: To try your very best with full effort.
Sample Sentences: He gave it his all during the soccer game. / She gave it her all on the test.
Other Way to Say: Try hard / Do your best
25. Heart set ablaze
Meaning: To feel very excited or moved emotionally.
Sample Sentences: Her heart was set ablaze after hearing the good news. / His heart set ablaze with excitement before the trip.
Other Way to Say: Very excited / Full of feeling
26. Fan the flames
Meaning: To make feelings or excitement stronger.
Sample Sentences: The coach fanned the flames of the team’s hope. / Her words fanned the flames of my interest.
Other Way to Say: Increase excitement / Make stronger feelings
27. In the heat of the moment
Meaning: Doing something because of strong feelings right then.
Sample Sentences: He said sorry in the heat of the moment. / She made a quick choice in the heat of the moment.
Other Way to Say: Suddenly / Without thinking
28. On a roll
Meaning: To be doing very well with energy and success.
Sample Sentences: She’s on a roll with her art projects. / The team is on a roll winning all their games.
Other Way to Say: Doing great / Winning a lot
29. Light up
Meaning: To show excitement or happiness clearly.
Sample Sentences: Her face lit up when she saw her birthday cake. / He lit up talking about his new bike.
Other Way to Say: Show joy / Smile brightly
30. Burst with joy
Meaning: To feel so happy that you want to show it.
Sample Sentences: She burst with joy after winning the prize. / He burst with joy when his friends surprised him.
Other Way to Say: Very happy / Full of excitement
31. Crazy about
Meaning: To like something or someone a lot.
Sample Sentences: She’s crazy about her new puppy. / He’s crazy about video games.
Other Way to Say: Really like / Love a lot
32. Keep the fire burning
Meaning: To keep feelings or excitement alive.
Sample Sentences: They keep the fire burning by practicing every day. / She keeps the fire burning for her hobby.
Other Way to Say: Stay excited / Keep loving
33. Dance with passion
Meaning: To dance showing strong feelings and excitement.
Sample Sentences: She danced with passion at the recital. / He dances with passion when he hears music.
Other Way to Say: Dance with energy / Dance with feeling
34. Feel the heat
Meaning: To feel strong pressure or excitement.
Sample Sentences: The players felt the heat before the big game. / She felt the heat of the crowd’s cheers.
Other Way to Say: Feel pressure / Get excited
35. All fired up
Meaning: Very excited and ready to act.
Sample Sentences: The team was all fired up for the match. / She was all fired up before her speech.
Other Way to Say: Very excited / Ready to go
36. Head in the clouds
Meaning: To be dreamy or full of happy thoughts.
Sample Sentences: He had his head in the clouds thinking about the party. / She’s head in the clouds when she talks about her dream job.
Other Way to Say: Dreamy / Thinking happily
37. Put fire in your belly
Meaning: To find strong energy and passion to do something.
Sample Sentences: The coach’s speech put fire in our belly. / She put fire in her belly to finish the race.
Other Way to Say: Get motivated / Feel strong energy
38. Head over heels in love
Meaning: To be very deeply in love.
Sample Sentences: He fell head over heels in love with his classmate. / She was head over heels in love with her puppy.
Other Way to Say: Very in love / Totally in love
39. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
Meaning: To be full of energy and enthusiasm.
Sample Sentences: The kids were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on the first day of school. / She was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after breakfast.
Other Way to Say: Energetic / Full of life
40. Have a fire in your heart
Meaning: To be very passionate and driven.
Sample Sentences: He has a fire in his heart for making music. / She has a fire in her heart to help others.
Other Way to Say: Be passionate / Be motivated
41. Spark joy
Meaning: To cause happiness or excitement.
Sample Sentences: Her smile sparked joy in the classroom. / The surprise party sparked joy for everyone.
Other Way to Say: Bring happiness / Make excited
42. Fired up and ready
Meaning: To be excited and prepared to do something.
Sample Sentences: The team was fired up and ready for the game. / She was fired up and ready to present her project.
Other Way to Say: Excited and prepared / Ready to go
43. Love at first sight
Meaning: To feel love for someone the moment you see them.
Sample Sentences: It was love at first sight when he met his puppy. / She felt love at first sight with her best friend.
Other Way to Say: Instant love / Quick love
44. Passion in your veins
Meaning: To have strong excitement or love deep inside you.
Sample Sentences: Music flows like passion in her veins. / He has passion in his veins for football.
Other Way to Say: Deep love / Strong excitement
45. Feel the burn
Meaning: To feel strong effort or energy when working hard.
Sample Sentences: I feel the burn after running fast. / She felt the burn in her muscles after practice.
Other Way to Say: Feel the effort / Feel energy
46. Catch the fever
Meaning: To get excited about something quickly.
Sample Sentences: The whole class caught the fever for the school play. / She caught the fever for painting after the art lesson.
Other Way to Say: Get excited / Become interested
47. Put your heart and soul into
Meaning: To do something with all your effort and care.
Sample Sentences: He put his heart and soul into building the robot. / She put her heart and soul into her dance.
Other Way to Say: Give your best / Work very hard
48. Set your soul on fire
Meaning: To feel excited or passionate inside.
Sample Sentences: The music set her soul on fire. / His dreams set his soul on fire.
Other Way to Say: Feel passionate / Feel excited
49. Firestarter
Meaning: Someone who inspires or causes excitement.
Sample Sentences: She is a firestarter in our group, always full of ideas. / The coach was a firestarter for the team’s spirit.
Other Way to Say: Motivator / Exciter
50. Heart aflame
Meaning: Feeling very excited or passionate.
Sample Sentences: He was heart aflame with hope before the contest. / She felt heart aflame when writing her poem.
Other Way to Say: Passionate / Excited
51. Passion to the bone
Meaning: To be very passionate deeply inside.
Sample Sentences: She is passionate to the bone about animals. / He is passionate to the bone about baseball.
Other Way to Say: Deeply passionate / Very excited
52. Flame of desire
Meaning: A strong feeling of wanting or loving something.
Sample Sentences: The flame of desire for success kept her going. / His flame of desire to learn never went out.
Other Way to Say: Strong want / Deep love
53. Passion ignited
Meaning: To have feelings or excitement start suddenly.
Sample Sentences: The play ignited a passion in him for acting. / The story ignited her passion for reading.
Other Way to Say: Feel excited / Start loving
54. Run on passion
Meaning: To do something powered by strong feelings.
Sample Sentences: She runs on passion to finish her art. / He runs on passion during the game.
Other Way to Say: Driven by feelings / Powered by love
55. Light your fire
Meaning: To find the reason that makes you excited or motivated.
Sample Sentences: What lights your fire? / The teacher helped light my fire for writing.
Other Way to Say: Find motivation / Get excited
Multiple Choice Question: Idioms for Passion
1. What does it mean if someone “puts their heart into something”?
A. They do it quickly
B. They do it with full effort and care
C. They do it only on weekends
2. If you’re “head over heels” for something, how do you feel?
A. Tired of it
B. A little interested
C. Very excited or in love with it
3. What does “eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball” mean?
A. Only plays baseball on Sunday
B. Thinks about baseball all the time
C. Eats snacks while watching baseball
4. What does “burning desire” mean?
A. A feeling of hunger
B. A strong wish to do something
C. Something that needs fire
5. If someone “follows their heart,” what are they doing?
A. Doing what others say
B. Doing what they truly care about
C. Giving up on their dreams
6. What does it mean if your “heart skips a beat”?
A. You’re dancing
B. You feel shocked or excited
C. Your heart stops forever
7. If a student “goes the extra mile” on a school project, what did they do?
A. Turned it in late
B. Did just what was required
C. Did more than what was expected
8. What does it mean when someone “speaks from the heart”?
A. Reads a funny poem
B. Talks with true feelings
C. Whispers really quietly
9. If you’re “mad about soccer,” what does that mean?
A. You’re upset about it
B. You’re really into it
C. You want to stop playing
10. What does “full of fire” mean?
A. Full of anger
B. Very cold and bored
C. Full of energy or passion
11. If someone says “my heart is full,” how do they feel?
A. Full from eating
B. Happy and loved
C. Tired and sleepy
12. What does it mean if your “eyes light up” when you see your puppy?
A. You blink quickly
B. You feel scared
C. You feel excited and happy
Answer Key
- B. They do it with full effort and care
- C. Very excited or in love with it
- B. Thinks about baseball all the time
- B. A strong wish to do something
- B. Doing what they truly care about
- B. You feel shocked or excited
- C. Did more than what was expected
- B. Talks with true feelings
- B. You’re really into it
- C. Full of energy or passion
- B. Happy and loved
- C. You feel excited and happy
Scoring Guide
- 12 Correct Answers: Love Idiom Master!
You know these expressions very well. Great job! - 8–11 Correct Answers: Well on your way to understanding love idioms.
You’re doing great just a little more practice and you’ll be a pro. - 4–7 Correct Answers: Room for improvement, but you’re getting there!
You’re learning keep reviewing and you’ll get better. - 0–3 Correct Answers: Let’s explore the world of love idioms together.
No worries! Try reading the examples again and practice using them.
Conclusion
Passion is a strong feeling that can guide what we do and how we treat others. Idioms help us show this feeling in interesting ways. They make our words clearer and more fun to hear.
By learning these idioms, you now have better ways to talk about what you care about. Keep using them in your writing and conversations. It’s a simple way to sound more real and thoughtful.
