Learn
Watch & LearnLearning Paths
Daily EnglishSocial EnglishProfessional EnglishVOA English
Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Compare phrases for mixed feelings, changing status, difficult patterns, and romantic stories without treating them as diagnoses.
VOA source audio
Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptA “love-hate relationship” combines strong positive and negative feelings. An “on-again, off-again” relationship repeatedly starts and stops. “On the rebound” describes beginning a new relationship soon after a breakup. A “love triangle” involves romantic feelings among three people, while “star-crossed lovers” face circumstances that keep them apart. The already-covered “unrequited love” is omitted.
Cultural note: These phrases describe patterns, not diagnoses. “Toxic” and “tumultuous” are strong terms; be careful about labeling someone else’s relationship without knowing the full context. The article’s celebrity reference is from 2017 and is not treated as current news. “Star-crossed lovers” is literary and does not imply that fate controls a real relationship.
Keep exploringEnglish has vivid phrases for mixed feelings and recurring relationship patterns—but labels should not replace listening.
Phrase guide · 5 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Describe strong feelings that pull in opposite directions.
Meaning
A relationship or connection involving strong positive and negative feelings.
Tone & use
Can describe people, work, or an activity; it does not necessarily mean that a relationship is unsafe.
Example
“She has a love-hate relationship with early flights: she enjoys the quiet arrival but dislikes waking before dawn.”
Name a repeating pattern or a relationship that begins soon after a breakup.
Meaning
A relationship that repeatedly begins and ends.
Tone & use
Informal. Describe the pattern without assuming why it happens or what the people should do.
Example
“The novel follows an on-again, off-again relationship over several years.”
Meaning
Beginning a new romantic relationship soon after the end of another one.
Tone & use
Informal and sometimes judgmental. It does not prove that someone is making a poor choice or needs to be alone.
Example
“Her friends wondered if she was dating on the rebound, but she said she was happy with her decision.”
Recognize phrases used in literary descriptions of love.
Meaning
A situation involving three people with romantic feelings that affect one another.
Tone & use
Often used in fiction and entertainment; real relationships may be more complex than the label suggests.
Example
“The novel’s love triangle drives the conflict, but each character has goals beyond romance.”
Meaning
Two people who love each other but are kept apart by circumstances.
Tone & use
Literary and dramatic; it can imply fate or misfortune, but it is not a factual explanation for a relationship.
Example
“The play presents the pair as star-crossed lovers whose families oppose their relationship.”
Knowledge check
Choose the expression that best fits each situation.
Try it · Choose the best expression
1 of 3