Limerence
Etymology
Coined by the psychologist Dorothy Tennov in her 1979 book "Love and Limerence." She stated plainly that she invented the word with no underlying roots or meaning — it is a pure neologism chosen for its sound. This is an explicit authorial coinage rather than a term with an etymological history.
noun · /LIM-er-ence/
An involuntary, obsessive state of romantic infatuation marked by intrusive longing and craving for reciprocation.
What it names
The specific, feverish early-crush condition — intrusive thoughts, mood swinging on a glance — as distinct from settled love, which is invaluable for describing why an obsession feels less like affection than compulsion.
Example
What he called love was really limerence — a month of checking his phone every ninety seconds for a reply that would either make or ruin his day.
Related idea
Contrast with nostalgia or ordinary attachment; limerence is future-directed craving and uncertainty, and it typically fades once feelings are securely returned or decisively refused.