14 Types Of Romantic Crushes & What They Mean

Skip navigation!

Begin Slideshow

In a world full of bad news, crushes can fuel us. Butterflies in our stomachs, electrifying rushes from brief interactions and nerves that make us feel alive: the thrill of having a crush can add a lot to the mundanity of our lives.

Not to be confused with having more serious feelings for someone, crushes can come in all forms. But while some of us are hopeless romantics that are prone to developing crushes on everyone we meet (yes, you, dear water signs) no one is immune to the potential of a budding romance. By going through our own histories in an excruciating process of self-reflection, we've filtered the list down to fourteen kinds of crushes that you might have had (or will have).

Ahead, our guide to the different types of crushes and our advice for making sure they're fun, not foolish.

Want more? Get Refinery29 Australia’s best stories delivered to your inbox each week. Sign up here!

More from Living

No Space? No Problem. 16 Small Sofas For Apartment Living

“I Felt Ashamed”: 12 Virgins & Late Bloomers Share Wh...

by Allie Daisy King

Misogyny Is Ideological — So Why Aren’t Gender-Based Attacks Cons...

On Saturday, April 13th, 2024, a man walked into Westfield Bondi Junction and murdered six people — five women and one man. Reportedly, 12 further victim

by Crystal Andrews

A Week In Melbourne As A Risk & Compliance Consultant On $130,000

Welcome to Money Diaries, where we tackle the ever-present taboo that is money. We ask real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a sev

by Refinery29 Austra...

For Black Women, Dating Sucks. But That Doesn’t Mean We Should Se...

I’ve been single for seven and a half years now and can attest to the ups and downs that come with my relationship status. At the end of 2023, as the new

Dedicated Feature

Here’s How You Could Win A Breathtaking $10k Escape To Explore Ne...

What if we told you that a week-long trip to New Zealand worth $10,000 is waiting to be claimed by one lucky winner and their companion? Not only that, the

by Refinery29 Austra...

“The Softest Kiss Of My Life”: How A Good First Date ...

I’d confidently say everyone loves a horrible first date story. You could be hunkered down on a table at the pub on a Saturday night, cackling with cowor

by Phoebe McIlwraith

What’s The Cost Of Commodifying Love On Social Media?

In the summer of 1973, Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase decided to capture his wife every morning from the window of their fourth-floor apartment as s

A Week In South East Melbourne As A Hospo Worker & Piano Teacher ...

Welcome to Money Diaries, where we tackle the ever-present taboo that is money. We ask real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a sev

by Refinery29 Austra...

10 Women On Their Most Wholesome Interaction With A Stranger

I once got off the tube in a hurry as I was running late. I had music in my ears and could just make out the faint noise of someone shouting behind me. I t

by Tanyel Mustafa

I’m A Big Fan Of Situationships – You Could Be, Too

Situationships get a bad rap. I think that’s unfair. Tinder defines them as “when you’re not quite dating someone, but you’re not just sleeping wit

by Tanyel Mustafa

An Ode To The WhatsApp Archive, AKA The Dating “Graveyard”

You might be single, on the apps, off the apps, in a situationship, relationship, polyamorous, monogamous, whatever. Chances are, if you are in the busines

by Kelly Washington