70 Idioms with Heart
Idioms that refer to what is the fanciful seat of our emotions as well as the factual core of our circulatory system are understandably numerous. Here’s a list of phrases and expressions that include heart and, for the most part, pertain to human feelings.
1. a big heart: said of someone kind and loving
2. after my own heart: said of someone with similar preferences or values
3. a heart of gold: see “a big heart”
4. a heart of stone: said of someone without sympathy
5. all heart: see “a big heart”; sometimes used sarcastically to mean the opposite
6. at heart: basically
7. bare (one’s) heart: share one’s feelings or thoughts
8. bleeding heart: said of someone who is conspicuously or excessively generous
9. break (one’s) heart: cause someone emotional distress
10. by heart: from memory
11–13. capture/steal/win (one’s) heart: make someone fall in love with one
14–16. close/dear/near to (one’s) heart: loved or valued by someone
17. cross my heart: said as an oath to assert one’s honesty
18. didn’t have the heart: said when one cannot summon the will to do something hurtful
19. do (one’s) heart good: said about something that will be beneficial to someone
20. eat your heart out: said mockingly to someone expressing the desire for them to suffer; usually facetious
21. faint of heart: lacking courage
22–23. find a way into/to (one’s) heart: cause someone to fall in love with one
24. find it in (one’s) heart: have the compassion or courage to do something
25. follow (one’s) heart: do what one loves rather than what is expected of one
26. from the heart: with sincerity
27–28. gladden the/(one’s) heart: make someone happy or gratified
29. harden (one’s) heart: become callous
30. have (one’s) heart set on: be obsessed with obtaining
31. have (one’s) (best) interests at heart: be doing something for someone else’s benefit
32. heart goes out to: said in regard to feeling sympathy for someone
33. heart in (one’s) mouth: said of someone who has strong emotions about someone or something
34. heart is in the right place: said of someone well intentioned
35. heart of the matter: essence
36. hearts and minds: said in reference to persuading rather than compelling
37. heart’s desire: what one wishes deeply for
38. heart skips a beat: said of someone excited, frightened, or surprised
39. heavy heart: sadness
40–41. from the bottom/depths of (one’s) heart: profoundly
42. in (one’s) heart of hearts: if one’s true feelings or thoughts were known
43. know (one’s) heart: be aware of one’s true feelings
44. lose heart: become discouraged
45–46. matters/affairs of the heart: said of something pertaining to a love affair
47. melt (one’s) heart: cause someone to experience uncontrollable emotions
48. nearly gave (one) a heart attack: caused someone to feel anxiety or fear
49. (one’s) heart bleeds for: one is sympathetic
50. (one’s) heart is knocking: said of someone excited or nervous
51. (one’s) heart is not in: one does not feel a commitment to or an interest in
52. (one’s) heart leaps: one is excited
53. (one’s) heart melts: see “melt someone’s heart”
54. (one’s) heart sinks: one becomes discouraged
55. open (one’s) heart: show generosity or kindness
56–57. out of the goodness/kindness of (one’s) heart: because of generosity or goodwill
58. pour (one’s) heart/soul out: see “bare (one’s) heart”
59. put (one’s) heart into: do something with conviction or enthusiasm
60. sick at heart: discouraged
61–62. strike fear into (one’s) heart/into the heart of (one): cause someone to be afraid
63. take heart: be encouraged
64. take (something) to heart: be affected by something
65. to (one’s) heart’s content: to the extent one desires
66. warm (one’s)/the cockles of (one’s) heart: cause someone to feel positive emotion
67. wear (one’s) heart on (one’s) sleeve: openly show one’s emotions
68. with a sinking heart: said of someone who becomes discouraged or hopeless
69. with all (one’s) heart: with great enthusiasm
70. young at heart: youthful
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