Heart Idioms
aching heart
- a feeling of sadness that one has when love has been lost or has faded
The young woman spent the weekend alone with her aching heart.
after one`s own heart
- to be well-liked for agreeing with one`s own feelings/interests/ideas
My new boss loves to go fishing. He is a man after my own heart.
at heart
- basically, essentially, what one really is rather than what one seems to be
The man seems to be angry all the time but actually he is a very gentle person at heart.
bleeding heart
- someone who feels too much sympathy for people such as poor people or criminals etc.
The man is a bleeding heart and he is always asked by other people for money to help others.
break (someone`s) heart
- to make someone feel sad or hopeless (usually from love or a similar loss)
It broke my heart to see the boy who had just lost his dog.
close/near to (someone's) heart
- an idea or something that is important to you and that you care about
The plan to improve the downtown area was very close to the mayor's heart.
cross one`s heart and hope to die
- to say or promise that what you have said is true (often used by children)
"I promise that I will meet you tomorrow. Cross my heart and hope to die."
die of a broken heart
- to die of emotional distress, to suffer from emotional distress (from a failed romance)
The man almost died of a broken heart several times when he was a teenager.
do (someone's) heart good
- to make someone feel good, to make someone healthy
It does one's heart good to get a reasonable amount of exercise every day.
do (something) in a heartbeat
- to do something almost immediately if you have the chance
I would change jobs in a heartbeat if I had the chance.
eat one`s heart out
- to suffer from excessive longing or envy
"You can eat your heart out but I will not give you a piece of this chocolate cake."
find it in one's heart to (do something)
- to have the courage or compassion to do something
I could not find it in my heart to tell the young woman that she could not continue to work at the company.
follow one's heart
- to act according to one's feelings
The boy followed his heart and decided to study music at school.
from the bottom of one`s heart
- with great feeling, sincerely
My sister thanked the man from the bottom of her heart for saving her dog`s life.
from the heart
- sincerely, honestly
The speech by the politician was right from the heart.
get to the heart of (something)
- to understand the most important/essential thing about something
It took a long time but we finally got to the heart of the problem with the new computer.
go (somewhere) in a heartbeat
- to go somewhere almost immediately if you have the chance
I would go camping in the mountains in a heartbeat if I had the chance.
have a big heart
- to be very kind/generous/helpful
The man has a big heart and he will always try to help other people.
have a change of heart
- to change the way one feels/thinks about something
I had a change of heart and I decided to go to the movie with my friend.
have a heart
- to be a generous and forgiving person
I wish that our boss would have a heart and try to help other people.
Have a heart!
- Don't be unkind or do something mean or cruel!
"Have a heart," I told my supervisor when he said that I must work during the weekend.
have a heart of gold
- to be kind/generous/friendly
My grandmother has a heart of gold and she is always willing to help a stranger.
have a heart of stone
- to be cold and unfriendly
The man who murdered his wife and children has a heart of stone.
have a heart-to-heart talk with (someone)
- to have a sincere and intimate talk with someone
I had a heart-to-heart talk with my girlfriend last evening.
have a soft spot in one's heart (for someone or something)
- to be fond of someone or something
My grandfather always had a soft spot in his heart for his youngest daughter.
have one`s heart set on (something)
- to want something very much
The little boy has his heart set on getting a dog for his birthday.
heart and soul
- the core or total person
The girl loved her boyfriend heart and soul.
heart bleeds for (someone)
- to feel sympathy for someone
My heart bleeds for the family who lost their father in the accident.
heart goes out to (someone)
- to feel great sympathy for someone
My heart goes out to the victims of the recent hurricane.
heart is dead set against (something)
- to be totally against something
My mother's heart is dead set against my plan to go to art school.
heart is in one's mouth
- to feel very nervous or frightened or have strong emotions about something
My heart was in my mouth when I saw the little boy standing on the ladder.
heart is in the right place
- to be kindhearted/sympathetic, to have good intentions (even if the results may be bad)
Although the girl makes a lot of mistakes her heart is in the right place.
heart is not in (something)
- to not really want to do what you are doing
The boy's heart was not in the swimming club so he quit the team.
heart is set against (something)
- to be totally against something
Our principal is set against expanding the music program in our school.
heart is set on (something)
- to want something very much
The little boy's heart is set on getting a dog for his birthday.
heart misses/skips a beat
- to be startled or excited from surprise/joy/fright
My heart skipped a beat when I heard my name on television.
heart stands still
- to be very frightened or worried about something
My heart stood still when the truck on the highway almost hit our car.
heart to heart
- candid, intimate
Our conversation was heart to heart and we both felt very good afterwords.
heartbeat away from (something)
- to be the next person to take over someone's position if they die
The young prince is a heartbeat away from becoming the next king of his country.
heavy heart
- a feeling of being weighed down with sorrow, a sad feeling
We left the meeting with a heavy heart when we heard that our boss would soon leave the company because of illness.
in one's heart of hearts
- to know something is true although you may not want to admit it or believe it
In my heart of hearts I knew that I would soon have to change jobs although I did not want to.
know (something) by heart
- to know something perfectly, to have memorized something
The little boy knows many stories by heart.
learn (something) by heart
- to memorize something
The children were forced to learn the poem by heart.
lose heart
- to feel discouraged because of failure, to lose the hope of success
I tried not to lose heart even though I had failed my driver`s exam for the second time.
not have the heart to do (something)
- to be unwilling to say or do something that may hurt or upset others
I did not have the heart to tell the woman that soon she may lose her job.
open one`s heart to (someone)
- to talk about one`s feelings honestly, to confide in someone
The woman suddenly opened her heart to me when I began talking to her on the bus.
pour one's heart out (to someone)
- to tell all of one's hopes/fears/feelings to someone
My friend poured her heart out to me when we went to the coffee shop last evening.
search one`s heart/soul
- to study one`s reasons and acts, to try to discover if one has been fair and honest about something
I searched my soul to try and discover why my girlfriend had left me.
set one's heart against (something)
- to turn against something, to become totally against something
From the beginning my friend set his heart against my proposal for having a birthday party for our teacher.
set one's heart on (something)
- to select something as one's goal
The young runner set his heart on winning the marathon.
sick at heart
- very sad or upset about something
The woman was sick at heart over the illness of her cat.
strike at the heart of (something)
- to do something that damages or destroys the basic idea or way of doing something that is very important to someone or to a group
The decision to change the zoning laws struck at the heart of the citizen's ideas of how they wanted to live.
take heart
- to be encouraged, to be brave
The father took heart in the fact that his son was still going to university even though he was failing most of his courses.
take (something) to heart
- to be strongly affected by something that someone says to you so you take it seriously or are upset by it
I did not expect my friend to take my criticism to heart when I complained that he was always late.
to one's heart's content
- as much as one wants
The little boy was able to play in the water to his heart's content.
tug at (someone's) heartstrings
- to make someone feel very sad or feel great sympathy for someone else
Seeing the young boy and his little dog tugged at my heartstrings.
warm the cockles of (someone's) heart
- to make someone feel warm and happy
The beautiful ending of the movie warmed the cockles of my heart.
way to (someone's) heart
- the best way to please someone or make them like you
The way to my grandfather's heart was through his stomach as he always liked good food.
wear one`s heart on one`s sleeve
- to show one`s feelings openly
The man wore his heart on his sleeve when he talked about his sick son.
win (someone's) heart
- to do nice things for someone to make him or her love you, something (music/book/art) has the qualities to make you like it
The young man won the girl's heart by his kind and caring attitude toward her.
with all one`s heart (and soul)
- with all one's energy and feeling
I tried with all my heart to get my friend a job at my company.
young at heart
- to do things that usually younger people enjoy doing (usually used for an older person)
The older couple were young at heart and they had much fun together.
- a feeling of sadness that one has when love has been lost or has faded
The young woman spent the weekend alone with her aching heart.
after one`s own heart
- to be well-liked for agreeing with one`s own feelings/interests/ideas
My new boss loves to go fishing. He is a man after my own heart.
at heart
- basically, essentially, what one really is rather than what one seems to be
The man seems to be angry all the time but actually he is a very gentle person at heart.
bleeding heart
- someone who feels too much sympathy for people such as poor people or criminals etc.
The man is a bleeding heart and he is always asked by other people for money to help others.
break (someone`s) heart
- to make someone feel sad or hopeless (usually from love or a similar loss)
It broke my heart to see the boy who had just lost his dog.
close/near to (someone's) heart
- an idea or something that is important to you and that you care about
The plan to improve the downtown area was very close to the mayor's heart.
cross one`s heart and hope to die
- to say or promise that what you have said is true (often used by children)
"I promise that I will meet you tomorrow. Cross my heart and hope to die."
die of a broken heart
- to die of emotional distress, to suffer from emotional distress (from a failed romance)
The man almost died of a broken heart several times when he was a teenager.
do (someone's) heart good
- to make someone feel good, to make someone healthy
It does one's heart good to get a reasonable amount of exercise every day.
do (something) in a heartbeat
- to do something almost immediately if you have the chance
I would change jobs in a heartbeat if I had the chance.
eat one`s heart out
- to suffer from excessive longing or envy
"You can eat your heart out but I will not give you a piece of this chocolate cake."
find it in one's heart to (do something)
- to have the courage or compassion to do something
I could not find it in my heart to tell the young woman that she could not continue to work at the company.
follow one's heart
- to act according to one's feelings
The boy followed his heart and decided to study music at school.
from the bottom of one`s heart
- with great feeling, sincerely
My sister thanked the man from the bottom of her heart for saving her dog`s life.
from the heart
- sincerely, honestly
The speech by the politician was right from the heart.
get to the heart of (something)
- to understand the most important/essential thing about something
It took a long time but we finally got to the heart of the problem with the new computer.
go (somewhere) in a heartbeat
- to go somewhere almost immediately if you have the chance
I would go camping in the mountains in a heartbeat if I had the chance.
have a big heart
- to be very kind/generous/helpful
The man has a big heart and he will always try to help other people.
have a change of heart
- to change the way one feels/thinks about something
I had a change of heart and I decided to go to the movie with my friend.
have a heart
- to be a generous and forgiving person
I wish that our boss would have a heart and try to help other people.
Have a heart!
- Don't be unkind or do something mean or cruel!
"Have a heart," I told my supervisor when he said that I must work during the weekend.
have a heart of gold
- to be kind/generous/friendly
My grandmother has a heart of gold and she is always willing to help a stranger.
have a heart of stone
- to be cold and unfriendly
The man who murdered his wife and children has a heart of stone.
have a heart-to-heart talk with (someone)
- to have a sincere and intimate talk with someone
I had a heart-to-heart talk with my girlfriend last evening.
have a soft spot in one's heart (for someone or something)
- to be fond of someone or something
My grandfather always had a soft spot in his heart for his youngest daughter.
have one`s heart set on (something)
- to want something very much
The little boy has his heart set on getting a dog for his birthday.
heart and soul
- the core or total person
The girl loved her boyfriend heart and soul.
heart bleeds for (someone)
- to feel sympathy for someone
My heart bleeds for the family who lost their father in the accident.
heart goes out to (someone)
- to feel great sympathy for someone
My heart goes out to the victims of the recent hurricane.
heart is dead set against (something)
- to be totally against something
My mother's heart is dead set against my plan to go to art school.
heart is in one's mouth
- to feel very nervous or frightened or have strong emotions about something
My heart was in my mouth when I saw the little boy standing on the ladder.
heart is in the right place
- to be kindhearted/sympathetic, to have good intentions (even if the results may be bad)
Although the girl makes a lot of mistakes her heart is in the right place.
heart is not in (something)
- to not really want to do what you are doing
The boy's heart was not in the swimming club so he quit the team.
heart is set against (something)
- to be totally against something
Our principal is set against expanding the music program in our school.
heart is set on (something)
- to want something very much
The little boy's heart is set on getting a dog for his birthday.
heart misses/skips a beat
- to be startled or excited from surprise/joy/fright
My heart skipped a beat when I heard my name on television.
heart stands still
- to be very frightened or worried about something
My heart stood still when the truck on the highway almost hit our car.
heart to heart
- candid, intimate
Our conversation was heart to heart and we both felt very good afterwords.
heartbeat away from (something)
- to be the next person to take over someone's position if they die
The young prince is a heartbeat away from becoming the next king of his country.
heavy heart
- a feeling of being weighed down with sorrow, a sad feeling
We left the meeting with a heavy heart when we heard that our boss would soon leave the company because of illness.
in one's heart of hearts
- to know something is true although you may not want to admit it or believe it
In my heart of hearts I knew that I would soon have to change jobs although I did not want to.
know (something) by heart
- to know something perfectly, to have memorized something
The little boy knows many stories by heart.
learn (something) by heart
- to memorize something
The children were forced to learn the poem by heart.
lose heart
- to feel discouraged because of failure, to lose the hope of success
I tried not to lose heart even though I had failed my driver`s exam for the second time.
not have the heart to do (something)
- to be unwilling to say or do something that may hurt or upset others
I did not have the heart to tell the woman that soon she may lose her job.
open one`s heart to (someone)
- to talk about one`s feelings honestly, to confide in someone
The woman suddenly opened her heart to me when I began talking to her on the bus.
pour one's heart out (to someone)
- to tell all of one's hopes/fears/feelings to someone
My friend poured her heart out to me when we went to the coffee shop last evening.
search one`s heart/soul
- to study one`s reasons and acts, to try to discover if one has been fair and honest about something
I searched my soul to try and discover why my girlfriend had left me.
set one's heart against (something)
- to turn against something, to become totally against something
From the beginning my friend set his heart against my proposal for having a birthday party for our teacher.
set one's heart on (something)
- to select something as one's goal
The young runner set his heart on winning the marathon.
sick at heart
- very sad or upset about something
The woman was sick at heart over the illness of her cat.
strike at the heart of (something)
- to do something that damages or destroys the basic idea or way of doing something that is very important to someone or to a group
The decision to change the zoning laws struck at the heart of the citizen's ideas of how they wanted to live.
take heart
- to be encouraged, to be brave
The father took heart in the fact that his son was still going to university even though he was failing most of his courses.
take (something) to heart
- to be strongly affected by something that someone says to you so you take it seriously or are upset by it
I did not expect my friend to take my criticism to heart when I complained that he was always late.
to one's heart's content
- as much as one wants
The little boy was able to play in the water to his heart's content.
tug at (someone's) heartstrings
- to make someone feel very sad or feel great sympathy for someone else
Seeing the young boy and his little dog tugged at my heartstrings.
warm the cockles of (someone's) heart
- to make someone feel warm and happy
The beautiful ending of the movie warmed the cockles of my heart.
way to (someone's) heart
- the best way to please someone or make them like you
The way to my grandfather's heart was through his stomach as he always liked good food.
wear one`s heart on one`s sleeve
- to show one`s feelings openly
The man wore his heart on his sleeve when he talked about his sick son.
win (someone's) heart
- to do nice things for someone to make him or her love you, something (music/book/art) has the qualities to make you like it
The young man won the girl's heart by his kind and caring attitude toward her.
with all one`s heart (and soul)
- with all one's energy and feeling
I tried with all my heart to get my friend a job at my company.
young at heart
- to do things that usually younger people enjoy doing (usually used for an older person)
The older couple were young at heart and they had much fun together.
