55+ Idioms For Heart With Common Meanings and Examples

The word “heart” carries a special place in the English language, not only as the organ that keeps us alive, but also as the symbolic center of our emotions, kindness, and deepest feelings. Because of this double meaning, English is filled with colorful idioms that use the word heart to express love, honesty, courage, compassion, sadness, and countless shades of human emotion. These phrases don’t always mean what the individual words suggest, but they add richness, imagery, and emotional depth to everyday speech.

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What Are Idioms for Heart?

Idioms for heart are expressions that use the word heart to describe emotions, attitudes, and human behavior in a figurative way. These phrases don’t refer to the physical organ but to the symbolic center of feelings such as love, kindness, courage, sincerity, or sadness. When someone uses a heart idiom, they’re expressing a deeper emotional message in a simple, memorable way. Learning these idioms helps you understand everyday conversations, stories, and expressions that reflect how people truly feel.

Commonly Used Idioms for Heart

Heart of gold
Meaning: To be very kind and generous.
Example: She has a heart of gold and always helps anyone in need.
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Meaning: To openly show your emotions.
Example: He wears his heart on his sleeve, so everyone knows when he’s happy or sad.
Take something to heart
Meaning: To be deeply affected or upset by something.
Example: She took the criticism to heart and worked harder.
Break someone’s heart
Meaning: To cause someone great emotional pain.
Example: Leaving without saying goodbye broke his heart.
From the bottom of my heart
Meaning: Very sincerely.
Example: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.
In a heartbeat
Meaning: Very quickly; without hesitation.
Example: I’d help you again in a heartbeat.
Have a change of heart
Meaning: To change your mind or feelings.
Example: He had a change of heart and decided to stay.
Lose heart
Meaning: To become discouraged.
Example: Don’t lose heart, success takes time.
Set your heart on something
Meaning: To strongly want something.
Example: She set her heart on becoming a doctor.
Have your heart in your mouth
Meaning: To feel extremely nervous.
Example: My heart was in my mouth during the exam results.
Heart skips a beat
Meaning: To feel sudden excitement or fear.
Example: My heart skipped a beat when I saw the surprise.
Open your heart
Meaning: To share your true feelings.
Example: She opened her heart and told him everything.
Cross my heart
Meaning: A promise that you mean what you say.
Example: I won’t tell anyone, cross my heart!
Follow your heart
Meaning: To do what feels right emotionally.
Example: He followed his heart and started painting.
Heart of stone
Meaning: To be cold or unfeeling.
Example: He has a heart of stone and never shows sympathy.
Heart and soul
Meaning: To do something with great passion.
Example: She put her heart and soul into the project.
Young at heart
Meaning: To be lively and youthful despite age.
Example: My grandfather is 80 but still young at heart.
With a heavy heart
Meaning: Feeling sad or sorrowful.
Example: He left his hometown with a heavy heart.
Know something by heart
Meaning: To memorize completely.
Example: She knows the poem by heart.
Pour your heart out
Meaning: To share deep emotions openly.
Example: He poured his heart out to his best friend.
Heart-to-heart
Meaning: A sincere, honest conversation.
Example: They had a heart-to-heart about their problems.
Have a big heart
Meaning: To be very generous or kind.
Example: She has a big heart and cares for everyone.
Heart isn’t in it
Meaning: Lack of interest or enthusiasm.
Example: He tried studying, but his heart wasn’t in it.
After my own heart
Meaning: Someone who thinks or acts like you.
Example: Anyone who loves books is a person after my own heart.
At heart
Meaning: Basically; deep down inside.
Example: He seems strict, but he’s gentle at heart.
Do something by heart
Meaning: To do something with deep sincerity.
Example: She apologized by heart.
Heart goes out to someone
Meaning: To feel sympathy for someone.
Example: My heart goes out to the earthquake victims.
Break one’s own heart
Meaning: To cause yourself emotional pain.
Example: She broke her own heart by expecting too much.
Eat your heart out
Meaning: Be jealous or envious.
Example: Eat your heart out, I won the competition!
Find it in your heart
Meaning: To manage to feel or do something kind.
Example: Please find it in your heart to forgive me.
Heart of the matter
Meaning: The most important part.
Example: Let’s get to the heart of the matter.
Have a soft heart
Meaning: To be easily moved emotionally.
Example: He has a soft heart and cries easily.
Heartfelt
Meaning: Sincere and deeply felt.
Example: She gave a heartfelt apology.
Heart bleeds for someone
Meaning: To feel deep compassion.
Example: My heart bleeds for the homeless.
Heart in the right place
Meaning: Having good intentions even if imperfect.
Example: He’s clumsy, but his heart is in the right place.
Heart isn’t made of stone
Meaning: Someone does feel emotions.
Example: Don’t judge him, his heart isn’t made of stone.
Let your heart rule your head
Meaning: Choosing emotion over logic.
Example: She let her heart rule her head in love.
Make one’s heart sing
Meaning: To make someone very happy.
Example: Music makes my heart sing.
My heart goes boom
Meaning: Feeling sudden excitement or love.
Example: My heart went boom when he smiled.
Take heart
Meaning: Be encouraged or hopeful.
Example: Take heart, better days are coming.
Wear your heart out
Meaning: To exhaust yourself emotionally.
Example: She wore her heart out worrying about her kids.
Heart misses a beat
Meaning: A sudden emotional reaction.
Example: Her heart missed a beat when the phone rang.
Have the heart to do something
Meaning: To have courage or emotional strength.
Example: I don’t have the heart to fire him.
Break your heart into pieces
Meaning: To devastate emotionally.
Example: Losing her dog broke her heart into pieces.
Capture someone’s heart
Meaning: To win someone’s love.
Example: She captured his heart instantly.
Deep in your heart
Meaning: What you truly believe.
Example: Deep in his heart, he knew it was wrong.
Give your heart away
Meaning: To fall deeply in love.
Example: She gave her heart away too soon.
Heart is full
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
Example: Her heart was full during the ceremony.
Heart goes pitter-patter
Meaning: Feeling nervous or excited.
Example: His heart went pitter-patter when she said hello.
Have heart
Meaning: To show kindness or courage.
Example: Have heart, things will improve.

Rare and Unique Idioms for Heart

A lion-hearted soul
Meaning: Very brave and fearless.
Example: The lion-hearted soldier saved his team.
Heart in the clouds
Meaning: To dream or fantasize.
Example: She always has her heart in the clouds.
Heart of a poet
Meaning: Sensitive and expressive nature.
Example: He writes beautifully, he has the heart of a poet.
Paper heart
Meaning: Easily hurt or emotionally fragile.
Example: She has a paper heart, so be gentle with her.
Heart like a drum
Meaning: Heart racing with excitement or fear.
Example: His heart beat like a drum during the interview.
Borrow someone’s heart
Meaning: To temporarily win affection.
Example: His sweet words borrowed her heart for a moment.
A cracked heart
Meaning: Emotionally damaged but still functioning.
Example: He hides his cracked heart behind humor.
Heart in hiding
Meaning: Afraid to show feelings.
Example: She keeps her heart in hiding after past hurts.
Heart made of velvet
Meaning: Extremely gentle and soft-hearted.
Example: Her velvet heart shows in her kindness to animals.
Guardian of the heart
Meaning: Someone who protects another emotionally.
Example: He became her guardian of the heart after the breakup.

Heart Idioms in Literature and Pop Culture

Heart of darkness
Meaning: Deep evil or corruption.
Example: In Heart of Darkness, the phrase reflects the darkness in human nature.
Follow your heart
Meaning: Pursue your true desires.
Example: Many movies show characters learning to follow their hearts.
Heart of a champion
Meaning: Courage and perseverance.
Example: Sports films often celebrate the “heart of a champion.”
Cold heart
Meaning: A cruel or unfeeling person.
Example: In Frozen, “cold heart” symbolizes emotional distance.
Heart grows fonder
Meaning: Distance increases affection.
Example: The saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” appears in many romance novels.
Heart of glass
Meaning: Fragile emotions.
Example: Blondie’s famous song “Heart of Glass” uses this idea.
Heavy heart
Meaning: Deep sadness.
Example: Many poems describe leaving home with a heavy heart.
Braveheart
Meaning: Someone courageous.
Example: The movie Braveheart popularized this heroic idiom.
Heartstrings
Meaning: Deep emotions that can be “pulled.”
Example: Movies that aim to “pull the heartstrings” evoke strong emotions.
Wear your heart
Meaning: Show emotion openly.
Example: Pop songs often say someone “wears their heart on their sleeve.”

Synonyms and Alternatives for Heart

Synonym	Meaning
Soul	The deepest emotional or spiritual part of a person.
Core	The central or most important part of something.
Spirit	A person’s inner character, energy, or emotional strength.
Emotions	The feelings that shape a person’s reactions and behavior.
Mind	Refers to thoughts and feelings combined, often used in place of heart.
Chest	Used metaphorically to represent where feelings are held.
Inner self	A person’s true feelings and identity.
Passion	Strong emotion, enthusiasm, or love.
Conscience	The part that helps distinguish right from wrong.
Compassion	Deep care or empathy for others, closely linked to kindness of the heart.

Tips for Using Heart Idioms in Writing and Speech

Match the idiom to the emotion you want to express
Use “heart of gold” for kindness, “heavy heart” for sadness, and “follow your heart” for encouragement.
Avoid using too many idioms in one sentence or paragraph
One powerful idiom stands out more than several crowded together.
Use heart idioms to create emotional connection in storytelling
In narratives, describing a character’s heart skipping a beat or breaking helps readers feel the moment.
Let idioms reflect personality
A romantic character might say “my heart melted,” while a brave one might have a “lion heart.”
Adapt idioms creatively for modern writing
Twist classic phrases like “heart of stone” to something fresh like “his digital heart of stone” in tech-related writing.

Idiom Quiz For Heart

1. “She has a heart of gold.” What does it mean?
A) She is wealthy
B) She is very kind
C) She is stubborn
Answer: B) She is very kind

2. “My heart skipped a beat.” What emotion does this show?
A) Anger
B) Fear or excitement
C) Boredom
Answer: B) Fear or excitement

3. “He wears his heart on his sleeve.” What does it describe?
A) He hides his emotions
B) He shows his emotions openly
C) He is confused
Answer: B) He shows his emotions openly

4. “Don’t take it to heart.” What should you NOT do?
A) Ignore the situation
B) Get upset or hurt
C) Laugh about it
Answer: B) Get upset or hurt

5. “She set her heart on winning.” What does this mean?
A) She doesn’t care about winning
B) She wants to win badly
C) She is nervous
Answer: B) She wants to win badly

6. “His heart was in his mouth.” What does this show?
A) He was hungry
B) He was extremely nervous
C) He was angry
Answer: B) He was extremely nervous

7. “Follow your heart.” What should someone do?
A) Do what feels right to them
B) Do what others say
C) Make a logical choice only
Answer: A) Do what feels right to them

8. “I know it by heart.” What does this mean?
A) I memorized it
B) I guessed it
C) I wrote it down
Answer: A) I memorized it

9. “My heart goes out to them.” What emotion is shown?
A) Jealousy
B) Sympathy
C) Surprise
Answer: B) Sympathy

10. “He had a change of heart.” What happened?
A) He changed his feelings or decision
B) He got sick
C) He ran away
Answer: A) He changed his feelings or decision

FAQs

Heart idioms are expressions that use the word “heart” to describe emotions, personality traits, and feelings in a figurative way, rather than referring to the physical organ.

They help express emotions more vividly and naturally, making conversations and writing more expressive and relatable.

Match the idiom to the feeling or situation, use “heart of gold” for kindness, “heavy heart” for sadness, and “heart skips a beat” for sudden excitement or fear.

Yes, many heart idioms are extremely common and appear in daily speech, movies, books, news, and even songs.

Mostly yes. Most heart idioms relate to feelings, intention, conscience, courage, or inner character.

Some of the most widely used include “heart of gold,” “follow your heart,” “take it to heart,” and “heart skips a beat.”

Conclusion

Heart idioms bring warmth, depth, and emotional color to the English language. Whether they express love, courage, sadness, kindness, or sincerity, these phrases help us speak in ways that feel meaningful and human. Understanding idioms like heart of gold, take it to heart, or follow your heart not only improves your vocabulary but also strengthens your ability to connect with others through language. As you use these expressions in conversations, writing, and storytelling, you’ll find your communication becoming more natural, expressive, and memorable. Mastering heart idioms is a simple yet powerful way to sound more fluent, confident, and emotionally aware in English.