Idiom
Love is blind
Love is blind means people in love often fail to see the faults of the person they love.
How people use it
People say this fondly or wryly when someone ignores a partner's obvious flaws, or when a pet owner adores a badly behaved dog. It often comes as "They say love is blind" or "I guess love is blind." It can also be a gentle warning that someone is not seeing a situation clearly. The tone is neutral to informal and usually kind rather than harsh. It does not mean love ignores looks only; it covers any fault.
Examples
- He thinks her singing is wonderful, but love is blind.
- Love is blind: Priya swears her snoring dog is the perfect roommate.
- Everyone saw the problems except Omar, so I guess love is blind.
Where it comes from
The idea is ancient. Cupid, the Roman god of love, was often shown wearing a blindfold. Chaucer used the phrase in The Canterbury Tales in the late 1300s, and Shakespeare used it in several plays, most famously in The Merchant of Venice, where Jessica says that love is blind and lovers cannot see.
Check yourself
1. What does the saying love is blind mean?
Answer: People in love miss their partner's faults. The saying means love makes people overlook flaws.
2. Which situation best fits the saying?
Answer: Ana loves her husband's cooking, though everyone else finds it awful.. Ana does not notice a flaw that others clearly see.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in LOVE.