noun
loved one; lover; sweetheart
A somewhat poetic or literary term for a person one loves or has deep feelings for; less common in casual conversation than 恋人.
彼女は遠く離れた想い人に手紙を書いた。
She wrote a letter to her faraway loved one.
彼は幼い頃からの想い人と結婚した。
He married the sweetheart he had loved since childhood.
恋人 is the standard, everyday word for a romantic partner or lover. 想い人 is more literary and emphasizes the emotional longing or cherished feelings, often used in poetic or narrative contexts.
Compound of 想い (omoi, 'thoughts, feelings, love') and 人 (hito, 'person'), with rendaku voicing of 人 to びと. The kanji 想い specifically suggests deep emotion or longing.