Catch Feels
To develop romantic feelings
Example
i thought you said it was just casual
jordan: yeah… then i started catching feels
alex: oh no, it got serious?
jordan: way more serious than i planned for
Related Slang
| feels | Feelings |
| ICFILWY | I could fall in love with you |
| Crush | A person who is the object of someone's affection |
| Crushing | Obsessed |
| BCO | Big crush on |
| BCOY | Big crush on you |
| DM slide | Direct message to a crush |
| Man crush | A likable guy |
| Woman crush | A likable woman |
| Boyfriend bomb | A statement that reveals your crush has a boyfriend |
| Girlfriend bomb | A statement that reveals your crush has a girlfriend |
| Stan | An obsessed fan of someone or something |
Take the pop culture acronym challenge
Catch feels is when a person develops romantic feelings or emotional attachment toward someone, often unexpectedly. The phrase combines "feels," which is slang for "strong emotions," with the idea of "catching" feelings like they suddenly happen to you.
The phrase became especially popular in the mid-2010s through texting culture, memes, dating apps, social media, and the "Feels" song by Calvin Harris (released in 2017), where people jokingly talked about trying not to catch feelings in casual relationships or friendships. Today, teenagers, young adults, and online communities may use the phrase when talking about crushes, dating, or emotional attachment.