Kilig
Etymology
Tagalog (Filipino). It captures the tingling, thrilled sensation of romantic giddiness — the feeling of watching a crush finally confess, or of being swept up in a love story. Like gigil, it was among the Philippine English words added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2025. It can function as a noun, an adjective, or an exclamation.
noun · /KEE-lig/
The giddy, fluttery thrill of romantic excitement.
What it names
The butterflies-and-shivers rush of a swoon-worthy romantic moment.
Example
I got total kilig when he remembered the anniversary of our first date.
Related idea
English butterflies points to the physical flutter; kilig names the whole delighted, swooning state at once.