carries a torch for
Loves from afar
To carry a torch for someone is to harbor romantic feelings for them, especially unrequited or lingering ones: He's been carrying a torch for her since college.
The image suggests keeping a flame burning for someone who may not return the affection, or for a past love that hasn't faded.
Often appears as torch carrier or still carries a torch.
- flameBurning gas made visible
- burning desireIntense emotional craving
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
- sparkTiny fiery particle
- infatuationShort-lived intense attraction
ember · pining · sentimentality · heartbreak · romantic gesture · love letter · nostalgia · melancholy · unrequited love · courtship · wistfulness · still waters · secret admirer · poetry · serenade · desire · devotion · admiration