Heart Idioms: 46 Everyday Phrases About Love, Loss and Courage

Your heart doesn’t really break, sink or skip a beat, but in English it does all three, sometimes in the same week. The heart is the language’s favourite way to talk about how we feel, how brave we are and what matters most to us.

This guide covers 46 heart idioms, also known as heart phrases or expressions with the word heart, used in everyday English. Each one comes with a plain-English meaning, two example sentences and other ways to say it. You’ll also find origins for the most interesting ones, the pairs learners mix up most, popular heart sayings, other words for the heart, ready-to-use phrases for cards and messages, and a quiz to check what you’ve learned.

Heart Metaphors: The Key to Understanding Heart Idioms

Almost every heart idiom is a metaphor built on one of three ideas. These heart metaphors run through the whole language, so once you know them, you can usually guess what a new idiom or phrase with the word heart means.

1. The heart is a container for feelings. It can be heavy, full, broken or poured out.
2. The heart is the source of courage. You can take heart or lose heart. Even the word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart.”
3. The heart is the centre of something. The heart of the matter is its most important part, just as the heart sits at the centre of the body.

All 46 Heart Idioms at a Glance

Here are all 46 idioms with heart from this guide, each with a one-line meaning and its usual tone. Tap any idiom to jump straight to its full explanation, example sentences and similar phrases.

Tone key: 😊 positive · 😟 negative · ⚖️ neutral · 🙃 often sarcastic or playful

Heart Idioms About Love and Romance

Love is where heart idioms are most common, because English treats the heart as the home of romantic feelings. These idioms describe falling in love, winning someone’s affection and the rush of strong attraction. Most are positive and sound natural in both everyday conversation and writing. For more ways to describe closeness, see our metaphors for connection.

1. Lose Your Heart to Someone

Meaning: To fall in love with someone.

• She lost her heart to a quiet musician she met on holiday in Lisbon.
• I lost my heart to this city the first time I visited.

Other ways to say it: fall for someone / fall head over heels

2. Steal Someone’s Heart

Meaning: To make someone fall in love with you, often without trying.

• The rescue puppy stole everyone’s heart the moment it walked in.
• He stole her heart with one terrible joke at a wedding.

Other ways to say it: win someone over / charm someone

3. Win Someone’s Heart

Meaning: To earn someone’s love, affection or support through your actions.

• He won her heart with handwritten letters and home-cooked dinners.
• The underdog team won the hearts of fans across the country.

Other ways to say it: win someone over / capture someone’s affection

4. After Your Own Heart

Meaning: Someone who likes the same things you do. Usually said as “a man/woman after my own heart.”

• You brought extra snacks for the road trip? You’re a woman after my own heart.
• He reads the last page of a book first, a man after my own heart.

Other ways to say it: a kindred spirit / just my type

5. Your Heart Skips a Beat

Meaning: You feel a sudden rush of excitement, love or fear.

• My heart skipped a beat when I saw my name on the winners’ list.
• Her heart skipped a beat as the phone rang at 3 a.m.

Other ways to say it: catch your breath / get butterflies

6. With All Your Heart

Meaning: Completely and sincerely; with every bit of feeling you have.

• I hope with all my heart that you get the job.
• She loved that old dog with all her heart.

Other ways to say it: wholeheartedly / truly / deeply

7. Follow Your Heart

Meaning: To make a decision based on your feelings rather than logic or other people’s advice.

• Everyone told him to study law, but he followed his heart and became a chef.
• If you’re stuck between two choices, sometimes you just have to follow your heart.

Other ways to say it: go with your gut / trust your instincts

8. Close to Your Heart

Meaning: Very important to you personally. Also said as “near and dear to your heart.”

• Children’s education is a cause close to her heart.
• This old guitar is close to my heart; it was my father’s.

Other ways to say it: dear to you / something you care deeply about

Heart Idioms About Sadness and Heartbreak

When things go wrong, English describes the heart as heavy, sinking, broken or even bleeding. These idioms help you talk about disappointment, grief and sympathy for others. A few of them, like eat your heart out and my heart bleeds, are often used playfully or sarcastically, so check the notes before you use them.

9. Break Someone’s Heart

Meaning: To make someone extremely sad, especially by ending a romantic relationship.

• It broke his heart when she moved abroad without saying goodbye.
• It breaks my heart to see the old cinema closing down.

Other ways to say it: devastate someone / crush someone

10. With a Heavy Heart

Meaning: Feeling sad, or doing something you don’t want to do.

• With a heavy heart, we said goodbye to the house we grew up in.
• It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our shop.

Other ways to say it: sadly / reluctantly / with regret

11. Your Heart Sinks

Meaning: You suddenly feel disappointed, worried or hopeless.

• My heart sank when I realised I’d left my passport at home.
• Her heart sank as she read the first line of the email.

Other ways to say it: feel a wave of dread / your stomach drops

12. Cry Your Heart Out

Meaning: To cry very hard, usually for a long time.

• After the final scene of the film, I cried my heart out.
• He cried his heart out the day his best friend moved away.

Other ways to say it: sob uncontrollably / cry your eyes out

13. Eat Your Heart Out

Meaning: To feel jealous, or to long for something you can’t have. Today it’s mostly used playfully to boast.

• I just baked a perfect cake. Eat your heart out, professional chefs!
• He’s been eating his heart out since his ex started dating his friend.

Other ways to say it: be green with envy / pine for something

14. Tug at Your Heartstrings

Meaning: To make you feel strong emotion, especially pity, love or sadness.

• The charity’s video of the rescued kittens really tugged at my heartstrings.
• That song always tugs at my heartstrings; we played it at our wedding.

Other ways to say it: move you / touch your heart

15. Your Heart Goes Out to Someone

Meaning: You feel deep sympathy for someone who is suffering.

• Our hearts go out to the families affected by the flood.
• My heart goes out to anyone starting a new job in a strange city.

Other ways to say it: feel for someone / sympathise with someone

16. Your Heart Bleeds for Someone

Meaning: You feel great pity for someone. Today it’s usually sarcastic, as in “Oh, my heart bleeds.”

• He has to choose between two luxury cars? My heart bleeds for him.
• (Sincere, but rare) My heart bleeds for the children caught up in the war.

Other ways to say it: (sarcastic) poor you / boo-hoo

Heart Idioms About Courage, Fear and Determination

The heart has been linked to bravery for centuries; the word courage itself comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart.” These idioms describe feeling brave or frightened, wanting something badly, and how much effort you really put into what you do. For lions, nerves of steel and more, see our metaphors for bravery.

17. Take Heart

Meaning: To feel encouraged or more hopeful.

• Take heart: most people fail their first driving test.
• The team took heart from their strong second half.

Other ways to say it: cheer up / don’t give up / be encouraged

18. Lose Heart

Meaning: To become discouraged and lose your hope or enthusiasm.

• Don’t lose heart if the first few job applications don’t work out.
• The soldiers began to lose heart as winter came.

Other ways to say it: give up hope / get discouraged

19. Have Your Heart in Your Mouth

Meaning: To feel extremely nervous, anxious or frightened.

• I had my heart in my mouth as the plane shook through the storm.
• We watched with our hearts in our mouths as he climbed onto the roof.

Other ways to say it: be on edge / be scared stiff

20. Not for the Faint of Heart

Meaning: Suitable only for brave, tough or determined people.

• Climbing that mountain in winter is not for the faint of heart.
• Running a restaurant is not for the faint of heart.

Other ways to say it: not for the weak / only for the brave

21. Set Your Heart on Something

Meaning: To want something very much and be determined to get it.

• She has set her heart on studying medicine.
• He’d set his heart on that bike, so we saved up for his birthday.

Other ways to say it: be determined to / have your eye on

22. Put Your Heart Into Something

Meaning: To do something with great energy, effort and enthusiasm.

• You can tell he put his heart into this painting.
• If you put your heart into your studies, the results will follow.

Other ways to say it: give it your all / go all out

23. Heart and Soul

Meaning: Completely; with all your energy and commitment.

• The volunteers gave their heart and soul to the project.
• She’s the heart and soul of this team.

Other ways to say it: wholeheartedly / body and soul

24. Your Heart Isn’t in It

Meaning: You are doing something without real interest or enthusiasm.

• He still goes to football practice, but his heart isn’t in it anymore.
• I tried to finish the essay, but my heart just wasn’t in it.

Other ways to say it: going through the motions / lack motivation

25. Half-Hearted

Meaning: Done without real effort, energy or interest. The opposite is wholehearted.

• He made a half-hearted attempt to tidy his room.
• The apology sounded half-hearted, as if he didn’t mean it.

Other ways to say it: lukewarm / token / lacklustre

Heart Idioms About Kindness and Cruelty

These idioms describe what kind of person someone is deep down. A kind heart is “of gold” or “in the right place,” while a cruel one is “of stone.” You’ll hear them when people praise someone, criticize someone or ask for a little mercy.

26. A Heart of Gold

Meaning: A very kind, generous and caring nature.

• Our neighbour looks strict, but she has a heart of gold.
• Underneath the jokes, Rafi has a heart of gold.

Other ways to say it: kind-hearted / big-hearted / a good soul / the salt of the earth

27. A Heart of Stone

Meaning: A cold, unfeeling nature; no sympathy for others.

• You’d need a heart of stone not to be moved by her story.
• The landlord had a heart of stone and evicted them in winter.

Other ways to say it: cold-hearted / heartless / hard-hearted

28. Have a Heart!

Meaning: A request for someone to be kind, fair or merciful.

• Have a heart! Let the kids stay up a little longer on New Year’s Eve.
• Have a heart, boss. It’s my birthday.

Other ways to say it: go easy on me / be nice / cut me some slack

29. Not Have the Heart to Do Something

Meaning: To feel too kind or sympathetic to do something that would upset someone.

• I didn’t have the heart to tell him his cooking was too salty.
• She didn’t have the heart to throw away her son’s old drawings.

Other ways to say it: can’t bring yourself to / be too soft to

30. Your Heart Is in the Right Place

Meaning: You have good intentions, even if the result isn’t perfect.

• His surprise party was a disaster, but his heart was in the right place.
• She can be blunt, but her heart’s in the right place.

Other ways to say it: mean well / have good intentions

31. Find It in Your Heart to Do Something

Meaning: To feel able to forgive, help or be kind to someone. Often used in questions and negatives.

• Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?
• He couldn’t find it in his heart to stay angry with her.

Other ways to say it: bring yourself to / be willing to

32. A Bleeding Heart

Meaning: A person seen as too sympathetic or soft, especially about social problems. It’s usually used as criticism.

• Critics dismissed him as a bleeding heart for supporting the new welfare plan.
• Call me a bleeding heart, but I think everyone deserves a second chance.

Other ways to say it: softie / do-gooder

Heart Idioms About Honesty and Sincerity

When you speak “from the heart,” you mean every word. These idioms are about sincerity, promises and sharing your true feelings, which makes them especially useful in thank-you notes, apologies and personal conversations.

33. From the Bottom of Your Heart

Meaning: Very sincerely and deeply.

• I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your help.
• She apologised from the bottom of her heart.

Other ways to say it: sincerely / truly / with deep gratitude

34. Cross My Heart (and Hope to Die)

Meaning: A way of promising that you are telling the truth. It’s common among children.

• I didn’t eat the last biscuit, cross my heart!
• “Will you keep my secret?” “Cross my heart.”

Other ways to say it: I swear / I promise / hand on heart

35. A Heart-to-Heart

Meaning: An honest, private and personal conversation.

• We finally had a heart-to-heart about what went wrong between us.
• Dad and I had a long heart-to-heart before I left for university.

Other ways to say it: a deep talk / an open conversation

36. Pour Your Heart Out

Meaning: To tell someone all your feelings and worries.

• She poured her heart out to her sister over a long phone call.
• He poured his heart out in a letter he never sent.

Other ways to say it: open up / confide in someone / get it off your chest

37. Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

Meaning: To show your feelings openly instead of hiding them.

• Karim wears his heart on his sleeve, so you always know when he’s upset.
• In this job you can’t wear your heart on your sleeve; clients will take advantage.

Other ways to say it: be an open book / show your emotions

38. Speak From the Heart

Meaning: To say what you truly feel, honestly and without preparing.

• The groom put away his notes and spoke from the heart.
• When you apologise, speak from the heart, not from a script.

Other ways to say it: speak sincerely / be genuine

39. Take Something to Heart

Meaning: To be deeply affected by something someone says, especially criticism. It can also mean to take advice seriously.

• Don’t take his comments to heart; he’s like that with everyone.
• I took my coach’s advice to heart and started training every morning.

Other ways to say it: take it personally / take it seriously

Other Common Idioms With Heart

These heart expressions don’t belong to a single emotion, but they’re some of the most useful in everyday English. They cover memorizing things, changing your mind, enjoying something freely and getting straight to the point.

40. Know (or Learn) Something by Heart

Meaning: To have something completely memorized.

• By the end of the year, the students knew the poem by heart.
• I’ve watched that film so often I know it by heart.

Other ways to say it: know it off by heart (British) / know it inside out

41. A Change of Heart

Meaning: A change in your opinion, feelings or decision.

• He was going to sell the car, but he had a change of heart.
• After meeting the refugees, the mayor had a change of heart.

Other ways to say it: change your mind / have second thoughts

42. To Your Heart’s Content

Meaning: As much as you want, without any limit.

• On holiday, you can sleep and read to your heart’s content.
• The kids splashed in the pool to their hearts’ content.

Other ways to say it: as much as you like / freely

43. At Heart

Meaning: In your true nature; basically, deep down.

• He seems tough, but at heart he’s a very gentle person.
• I’m a country girl at heart.

Other ways to say it: deep down / underneath it all / essentially

44. Young at Heart

Meaning: Feeling, thinking or behaving like a young person, whatever your actual age.

• My grandfather is 80 but still young at heart; he just learned to skateboard.
• This festival is for kids and the young at heart.

Other ways to say it: youthful / full of life

45. The Heart of the Matter

Meaning: The most important or central part of an issue.

• Let’s get to the heart of the matter: we need more money.
• The real heart of the matter is that nobody trusts the manager.

Other ways to say it: the crux / the core issue / the bottom line

46. In a Heartbeat

Meaning: Immediately, without any hesitation.

• If they offered me that job, I’d take it in a heartbeat.
• She’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Other ways to say it: in a flash / without a second thought

Heart Sayings and Proverbs

Heart sayings are a little different from idioms: they are complete sentences that share a piece of advice or wisdom. You’ll hear these classic heart sayings in conversation, songs and greeting cards.

• Home is where the heart is. Your real home is wherever the people you love are.
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Being apart from someone can make you love them even more.
• The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Cooking good food for someone is a good way to win their affection.
• Faint heart never won fair lady. You have to be brave to get what you want, especially in love.
• What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over. People can’t be upset by things they don’t know about. You’ll find more sayings like this in our eye idioms.
• The heart wants what it wants. You can’t always control who or what you love. The line is often traced to a letter by the poet Emily Dickinson.

Heart Idioms That Are Easy to Mix Up

Several heart idioms look almost the same but mean very different things. Mixing them up can change your message completely, so here are the pairs English learners confuse most often.

Heart Idioms for Cards and Messages

Need the right words? These phrases are safe and natural for real messages.

• Sympathy: “Our hearts go out to you and your family.” / “With heavy hearts, we remember…”
• Thank you: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” / “Your kindness is close to my heart.”
• Love: “I love you with all my heart.” / “You stole my heart from day one.”
• Encouragement: “Take heart, the hard part is almost over.” / “Follow your heart; I’m behind you.”
• Birthday (for an older friend): “Happy birthday to someone forever young at heart!”

Other Words for the Heart

Sometimes you don’t need a whole idiom, just a different word for the heart. The right choice depends on whether you mean the organ, your feelings or the centre of something.