The heart is the organ which beats and pumps blood around the body. The plural is ‘hearts’.
heart idioms list
Let’s look at some popular body idioms that contain the word ‘heart’. It’ll break my heart if you don’t.
- absence makes the heart grow fonder
meaning – being away from someone you love makes you appreciate them more
example – Stevie is going away for five weeks, we’ll see if absence makes the heart grow fonder. - break someone’s heart
meaning – cause someone emotional distress/pain
example – Our perfect cat got eaten by a crocodile today. It’s going to break the children’s hearts. - eat your heart out
meaning – better than the original (usually a celebrity)
example – Look at my quiff! Elvis Presley eat your heart out. - from the bottom of one’s heart
meaning – to emphasise sincerity/honesty/truthfulness
example – I just called to say I love you and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. - have a change of heart
meaning – change your mind/opinion
example – My boss wants to transfer me to Italy. I hope he has a change of heart, I like it here. - have a heart
meaning – be kinder, more compassionate
example – Don’t give him detention, his grandad died yesterday. Have a heart sir. - have one’s heart in the right place
meaning – have good intentions
example – Her heart is in the right place, but I need a woman with more fire in her belly. - heart of gold
meaning – a kind/generous person with a big heart
example – She may look like a witch, but she’s got a heart of gold.
- heart sinks
meaning – feel disappointed
example – Jack’s heart will sink if he isn’t picked for the team - heart skips a beat
meaning – the feeling of fear/nervousness/excitement
example – My heart skipped a beat when I received a phone call from the hospital. - heart to heart
meaning – an intimate conversation where you talk about feelings/personal things
example – I had a heart to heart with Ellie, we’ve decided to put the past behind us. - learn off by heart
meaning – memorise
example – I need to learn my lines off by heart by Tuesday. We are having a dress rehearsal. - pour one’s heart out
meaning – express your emotions, feelings, thoughts, or secrets to someone
example – When I drink vodka, I always pour my heart out to a complete stranger. - put one’s heart and soul into something
meaning – apply maximum effort, energy, enthusiasm, passion etc.
example – Lexi put her heart and soul into that assignment, but the teacher only gave her a C. - take something to heart
meaning – be deeply affected/hurt by criticism
example – I called him an idiot and he took it to heart, we’re not speaking. - warm the cockles of one’s heart
meaning – a warm and happy feeling
example – I’ll tell you a story about a little girl and a homeless man. It’ll warm the cockles of your heart. - wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve
meaning – openly show emotion and feeling
example – Leon doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. I never know what he’s thinking or feeling.
heart idioms list with pictures
Here’s some real life picture examples.
You can download a table of ‘heart’ idioms and expressions below.
If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more body idioms by clicking on the links below.