Heart idioms
after your own heart
(having the same interests or feelings as you)
- He likes football and healthy food; he is a man after my own heart.
- You always make food that I love. You are the cook after my own heart.
a heart of gold
(a kind and caring heart)
- Anna is always willing to help people; she has a heart of gold.
- He has a heart of gold. I never saw him angry with someone.
a heart of stone
(a cruel and uncaring heart)
- Ivan doesn’t care about anybody. He has a heart of stone.
- This city’s poverty crisis would move a heart of stone to sympathy.
all heart
(very kind and generous)
- Daniel gave you his last dollar—he’s all heart.
- Rose can’t bear seeing you crying – she’s all heart.
at heart
(as a main concern)
- You should trust me, I’m your mother, I have your best interests at heart.
(in real nature)
- His manners are rough, but he is a kind person at heart.
bare your heart
(to tell someone your personal thoughts and feelings)
- I don’t know Nina that well. I certainly wouldn’t bare my heart to her.
- Jacob is the only person that I would bear my heart to.
big-hearted
(generous and very kind)
- Benjamin is a big-hearted guy.
- He is a big-hearted person who can’t say no to you.
bleeding heart
(a person who is too sympathetic towards other people)
- A bleeding heart usually has no enjoyable life outside of work.
- Don’t worry about the other’s life too much! You are such a bleeding heart that it is not good for your health!
bless your heart
(you are so good)
- You have always been there for me in a crisis, bless your heart.
(to wish someone good luck or good health)
- My grandfather, bless his heart, is now 98 years old.
break someone’s heart
(make someone feel very sad)
- Jacob broke Sophia’s heart when he left her for another woman.
- It breaks my heart to think of how they left the animals to starve to death.
by heart
(from memory, memorized)
- We had to learn the entire poem by heart.
- I have dialed your number so many times that I know it by heart.
change of heart
(to change your opinion or feeling about something)
- She had a change of heart after learning the details of the deal.
- He was going to sell his car but had a change of heart at the last minute.
chicken hearted
(fearful, cowardly)
- If you’re so chicken-hearted, you shouldn’t have come out with us.
- Don’t be so chicken-hearted. Let’s dive into the water from that diving board.
close to your heart
(something important to you)
- Human welfare is a subject very close to my heart.
(someone you love)
- I never knew that Ashley was so close to your heart; you two are really falling for each other.
cold hands, warm heart
(someone who does not show feelings, but inwardly is a caring person)
- Leo never sends me flowers, but he’s a case of cold hands, warm heart.
- Jacob never shows emotions, but he cares for her a lot. He has cold hands but a warm heart.
cross my heart informal
(to stress that you are telling the truth)
- I’ll clean the room tomorrow, cross my heart!
- I didn’t take your bicycle, cross my heart!
cry your heart out
(to cry a lot or for a long time)
- Poor Sophia really cried her heart out during the funeral.
- I was so upset yesterday that I cried my heart out.
dear to your heart
(very emotionally important to you)
- Money is dear to her heart.
- I like to go to the Eiffel Tower, a place close to his heart.
do your heart good
(to make you feel good)
- It would do my heart good to know that you two are together again.
- Traveling just does my heart good.
eat your heart out
(to feel sorrow, jealousy or longing)
- When I think about my flight delay, I eat my heart out.
- I just bought a new digital camera. Eat your heart out, Alex.
faint of heart
(timid, easily frightened)
- The movie is not for those who are faint of heart.
- It’s a steep climb to the top of the mountain that is not for the faint of heart.
find it in your heart do something
(to feel able or willing to do something unpleasant or difficult)
- She couldn’t find it in her heart to trust anyone again.
- Can you find it in your heart to forgive him this time?
follow your heart
(do what seems right to you)
- I didn’t know what to do, so I just followed my heart.
- I think you should follow your heart and marry her.
from the bottom of my heart
(with utmost sincerity)
- I’m really sorry, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
- I think he really does love Elena from the bottom of his heart.
from the heart
(sincerely; honestly)
- His generosity and hospitality is right from the heart.
- I won’t accept your gift unless it comes from the heart.
get to the heart of the matter
(get to the main point)
- Let’s not waste any time and get right to the heart of the matter.
- With this in mind, I would like to go right to the heart of the matter.
hale and hearty
(strong and healthy)
- Getting up early to exercise every day keeps me hale and hearty.
- My grandfather is 80 years old but still hale and hearty.
halfhearted
(without effort, interest, or enthusiasm)
- He made a halfhearted attempt to write his paper, that’s why the teacher gave him a D.
- He took the garbage out for collection in a half-hearted way this time.
have a heart
(be kind, be reasonable)
- Have a heart, John, and lend me some money until tomorrow.
- Don’t make me do it again! Have a heart!
have a soft spot in your heart for
(feel that you like someone or something very much)
- Ethan has a soft spot in his heart for Emily.
- He has a soft spot in his heart for action movies.
have heart in mouth informal
(to be extremely excited or nervous)
- I had my heart in my mouth when the plane was about to take off.
- He was waiting for the exam result with his heart in his mouth.
have heart in the right place
(to have good intentions)
- She is very strict, but her heart is in the right place.
- I know that his heart is in the right place, but I don’t think his plan would work.
have heart set on
(long for, decide to achieve)
- I have my heart set on going on a trip to Michigan.
- He had his heart set on becoming a good football player.
heart and soul
(with a lot of energy and interest)
- He played with all his heart and soul and won the first prize.
completely, wholly, absolutely)
- She loves him heart and soul.
- I was heart and soul against the idea.
heart-to-heart talk
(honest, sincere and serious talk)
- We should have a heart-to-heart with him on this matter.
- After a heart-to-heart, they are getting on much better now.
heart bleeds for someone
(feel great sadness for someone)
- My heart bleeds for homeless children.
- When I see children in need of food, my heart bleeds.
heart goes out to someone
(feel sorry for someone)
- My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this explosion.
- Our hearts go out to the parents who lost their children.
a heartbeat away
(very close to a situation or position)
- He is a man who is just a heartbeat away from the presidency.
- Supermarket is a heartbeat away from our house.
heart isn’t in something
(not interested in something)
- I used to love swimming, but my heart just isn’t in it anymore.
- She took a job as a waitress, but her heart wasn’t in it and she left after a month.
heart skip a beat
(suddenly feel excited or frightened that cause the heart to beat faster)
- My heart skips a beat every time my wife calls me.
- When I learned I won two tickets to Hawaii, my heart missed a beat.
heart stand still
(be very frightened or worried)
- When the lion came toward me, my heart stood still.
- The roller-coaster makes my heart stand still.
heavy heart
(feeling of sadness)
- With a heavy heart, he turned to say goodbye.
- She walked out of the room with a heavy heart.
in a heartbeat US informal
(very quickly, without any delay)
- Call me when you need me, and I’ll be here in a heartbeat.
- If I had the money, I would leave this country in a heartbeat.
light heart
(happy and free from care or worry)
- She left for Washington with a light heart.
- I paid off my debts, I can sleep with a light heart tonight.
cold hearted
(cruel, uncaring, unfeeling)
- He was a cold-hearted killer.
- Don’t be so coldhearted, respect your elder brother.
hand on heart
(swear that something is true)
- Are you telling me, hand on heart, that you will never read my private messages?
- I can put my hand on my heart and say that I’ll never leave you.
harden your heart
(make yourself stop caring or not feel pity for someone)
- She tried to harden her heart and tell him to leave.
- Molly hardened her heart against him.
heartfelt
(strongly felt, sincere)
- They sent a heartfelt message of thanks to everyone who helped.
- My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the victims of the war.
Heartless
(uncaring, inconsiderate, merciless)
- A heartless thief stole his wheelchair.
- Your father couldn’t be so heartless as to disown you.
in your heart of hearts
(in your true or secret feelings)
- I knew in my heart of hearts that I was right.
- In my heart of hearts, I realized that he was making the wrong decision.
heartsick
(very depressed or unhappy)
- She was really heartsick to learn of your divorce.
- He was absolutely heartsick over the loss of his ring.
heart sink
(feel disappointed or discouraged)
- My heart sank when looked at the huge pile of work on my desk.
- We decided to have a picnic down by the lake, but our hearts sank when it began to rain.
let your heart rule your head
(do something because you want to rather than what you think is sensible)
- Don’t let your heart rule your head. He is just a known womanizer.
- You cannot persuade him. It’s a case of the heart ruling the head.
lose heart
(lose your courage or confidence)
- Don’t lose heart – you may do it better next time.
- (fall in love with)
- Lucy lost her heart to Robert the minute they met.
open your heart
(tell your private feelings or problems)
- I always open my heart to my wife when I have a problem.
(start to be kind and generous)
- We should open our hearts and help those poor children.
do something your heart out
(do something with all your energy or emotion)
- Even though I played my heart out, but still he won the chess game.
- She danced to the music her heart out.
- We will go on the stage and sing our hearts out.
pour your heart out
(tell your secret feelings or thoughts)
- It’s not a good idea to pour your heart out to everyone you meet.
- I poured my heart out to you and I hope you’ll keep it under your hat.
put your heart into something
(to do something with all your effort)
- He is the kind of worker who always puts his heart into his work.
- Put your heart and soul into all facets of the business.
search your heart
(study your reasons and feelings for doing something)
- Search your heart before you decide to split up.
- I want to search my heart and decide what to do next.
sick at heart
(very sad)
- Jim was sick at heart when he away from home.
- I was sick at heart when I saw the boy half dead from hunger.
set heart on something
(decide to get or achieve something)
- Finally, he has set his heart on getting a good grade.
- She has set her heart on a pearl necklace this time.
steal someone’s heart
(make someone fall in love with you)
- I hope to steal her heart and make her my bride.
- He married a pretty girl who stole his heart during a wedding ceremony.
strike at the heart of something
(damage or destroy something by attacking the main part of it)
- The drought has struck at the heart of the country’s fragile economy.
- The military group is hoping to strike at the heart of enemy’s stronghold.
take heart
(be encouraged)
- Take heart! Obviously, you are doing well and from now on it will be easier.
- The players took heart from their coach’s words, so he went on to win the game.
take to heart
(pay attention to)
- I hope you will take to heart the warnings about the dangers of sunbathing.
(take seriously)
- Don’t take to heart I was just joking about your style.
tear heart out
(make someone very sad)
- The death of those children in fact tore my heart out.
- Undoubtedly closing the factory would tear the heart out of the local community.
the hearts and minds of
(the private emotions and feelings of)
- His speech touched the hearts and minds of every attendee.
- The movie captured the hearts and minds of the movie-going public.
to your heart’s content
(as much as you like)
- When you go to the beach you can swim to your heart’s content.
- Today I have plenty of money to spend, so I can buy things to my heart’s content.
tug at your heartstrings
(make feel strong love or sympathy)
- Undoubtedly, He knows how to tug at your heartstrings.
- The sight of poor people working just for food in fact tugged at my heartstrings.
way to someone’s heart
(way to make someone love one)
- The way to his heart is through his stomach, so give him good food.
- Undoubtedly Jake is trying to find a way to her heart.
warm hearted
(friendly, kind, and willing to help)
- This town is so full of warm-hearted, helpful people.
- She is so caring and warmhearted person that everybody likes her.
warm your heart
(make you feel good)
- I like to watch movies that warm my heart.
- If money does not warm your heart, give it back.
with all your heart
(with all your strength, energy or deepest feeling)
- He is in fact trying with all his heart to please them.
- Do what you feel in your heart to be right and do it with all your heart.
wear your heart on your sleeve
(express your feelings openly, not hide your feelings)
- William is not one to wear his heart on his sleeve, because it’s hard to know how he feels.
- Rather than wear your heart on your sleeve, you keep it under your hat.
young at heart
(act in a way or enjoy things as if you are younger than you really are)
- Ethan is over eighty, but he is still young at heart.
- This dress also is ideal for those who are young at heart.
your heart leaps
(suddenly become very happy or joyful)
- My hearts leapt when I heard that you passed the driving license test with ease.
- His heart leaps whenever he thinks of going to Michigan.
your heart melts
(start to feel love, affection, or sympathy for someone or something)
- Jane gave him a warm smile and that melted his heart even more.
- Your heart melts when you see children in need of food.
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