heart

heart [ hart ] noun ***

▸ 1 organ that pumps blood

▸ 2 area of chest with heart

▸ 3 your feelings

▸ 4 inner central part

▸ 5 shape representing love

▸ 6 suit of playing cards

▸ 7 most important part

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) count the organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body:

I could hear his heart beating.

have a weak/bad heart: Did you know he had a weak heart?

2. ) count the area of your chest where your heart is:

She held the child close to her heart.

3. ) count your feelings and emotions considered as part of your character:

My advice would be to follow your heart.

have a kind/good/big heart (=be a kind/good/generous person): Ted may not be rich but he's got a good heart.

4. ) count the central part of something, that is farthest from the outside:

heart of: They live in the heart of the city's medieval quarter.

a beautiful house deep in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains

a ) the inner, central part of something such as a vegetable:

artichoke hearts

5. ) count a shape that represents love:

a shirt decorated with little hearts

6. ) count a playing card with a red heart shape on it

a ) hearts plural the SUIT of playing cards that have red heart shapes on them. The other suits are diamonds, clubs, and spades:

the six of hearts

7. ) singular heart of the most important or basic part of something:

go/get to the heart of something (=relate to its most important part): These questions go to the heart of the current debate.

be at the heart of something: Cost-cutting is at the heart of their development plan.

at heart

used for saying what someone's basic character is:

I'm really a country person at heart.

bless his/her heart INFORMAL OLD-FASHIONED

used for showing that you like someone or feel sorry for them

break someone's heart

1. ) to upset someone very much, especially by letting them know that you do not love them. You can also say that someone's heart breaks or that they have a broken heart.

2. ) it breaks someone's heart SPOKEN used for saying that something upsets someone very much:

It would break her heart to have to go away.

by heart

if you know something by heart, you can remember all the words in it without any help

close/dear/near to someone's heart

very important or interesting to someone:

a topic that is obviously very close to his heart

cry/sob your heart out

to cry a lot, because you are very upset

do someone's heart good MAINLY LITERARY

to make someone feel happy

from the bottom of my heart SPOKEN

used for emphasizing that you really mean what you are saying

have a heart SPOKEN

used for asking someone to be kind enough to do something or agree to something

have a heart of gold

to be a very kind person

have a heart of stone

to not feel any sympathy for other people

have something at heart

to be influenced in your actions by something that you really care about:

Real dog lovers always have the dog's welfare at heart.

have your heart set on (doing) something or set your heart on something

to decide that you want something very much:

He's got his heart set on winning the competition.

someone's heart aches MAINLY LITERARY

used for saying that someone feels very sad

my heart bleeds (for someone) SPOKEN

used for saying that you feel sympathy for someone. This phrase is usually used in a humorous way to show that, in fact, you do not feel any sympathy at all.

someone's heart goes out to someone

used for saying that someone feels sorry for someone else

someone's heart is in the right place

used for saying that someone tries to be kind and do good things even though it does not always seem like this

someone's heart is not in something

used for saying that someone does not really care about something that they are doing:

Her heart was no longer in the campaign.

someone's heart leaps/jumps/quickens

used for saying that someone suddenly feels excited, nervous, or afraid

someone's heart pounds/beats/thumps

used for saying that someone can feel their heart moving quickly because they are very excited or afraid

someone's heart's desire LITERARY

the thing that someone really wants

someone's heart sinks

used for saying that someone suddenly feels very worried, upset, or disappointed

someone's heart swells with happiness/pride

used for saying that someone starts to feel very happy or proud

in someone's heart (of hearts)

used for talking about true or secret feelings:

In his heart he knew she was right.

lose heart

to feel disappointed and try less hard because of this:

I think he lost heart after losing the first game.

lose your heart (to someone) LITERARY

to start to love someone

a man/woman after your own heart

someone who has the same opinions as you on a particular subject

not have the heart to do something

to not be able to do something, because it seems cruel:

I didn't have the heart to tell him what I really thought.

open your heart or pour out your heart

to tell someone everything that you are thinking about, especially something that has made you unhappy

play/work/sing etc. your heart out

to put a lot of effort into playing, working, singing, etc.:

The children all sang their hearts out.

put your heart into something

to do something with a lot of effort

(straight) from the heart

being completely honest about your feelings:

She wrote me a letter straight from the heart.

take heart (from something)

to feel happier or less worried because of something

take something to heart

to think about something seriously, often so that you become upset by it:

You can't take everything people say to heart.

touch someone's heart

to make someone feel sympathy

to your heart's content

as much or as often as you like

warm/gladden someone's heart MAINLY LITERARY

to make someone feel happy

the way to someone's heart

the way to make someone love you

wear/have your heart on your sleeve

to make your feelings obvious to other people

someone will break a few hearts SPOKEN

a way of saying that someone is very attractive:

I bet he'll break a few hearts when he's older.

win/capture/steal someone's heart MAINLY LITERARY

to make someone start to love you

with a heavy heart MAINLY LITERARY

feeling sad

with all your heart (and soul) LITERARY

used for emphasizing that a feeling is very strong:

She wished with all her heart that he would come.

(with) your heart in your mouth

feeling very nervous or afraid:

She picked up the phone, her heart in her mouth.

=> CROSS1, EAT