An old flame.
[Idiom] AN OLD FLAME. - Rekindling Past Romances: Understanding Connections with Former Partners
a past romantic partner
'An old flame' refers to someone with whom one had a previous romantic relationship. The word 'flame' suggests the passion and intensity typically associated with love, implying that the romantic feelings were once fiery or strong. Using this idiom can evoke nostalgia or sentimentality about past relationships. It’s common to hear people refer to their 'old flames’ when reminiscing about their love lives, discussing how past relationships shaped their current emotional state or life choices. Sometimes, the phrase is used humorously or ironically to refer to relationships that were perhaps more tumultuous than idyllic.
Example Sentences
He ran into an old flame at the reunion.
He ran into a former romantic partner at the reunion.
She reminisced about her old flame during the chat.
She reminisced about her former romantic partner during the chat.
Meeting her old flame brought back memories.
Meeting her former romantic partner brought back memories.
