View synonyms for heart

heart

[hahrt]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Anatomy., a hollow, pumplike organ of blood circulation, composed mainly of rhythmically contractile smooth muscle, located in the chest between the lungs and slightly to the left and consisting of four chambers: a right atrium that receives blood returning from the body via the superior and inferior vena cavae, a right ventricle that pumps the blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for oxygenation, a left atrium that receives the oxygenated blood via the pulmonary veins and passes it through the mitral valve, and a left ventricle that pumps the oxygenated blood, via the aorta, throughout the body.
Zoology.
1. the homologous structure in other vertebrates, consisting of four chambers in mammals and birds and three chambers in reptiles and amphibians.
2. the analogous contractile structure in invertebrate animals, as the tubular heart of the spider and earthworm.
the center of the total personality, especially with reference to intuition, feeling, or emotion.
In your heart you know I'm an honest man.
the center of emotion, especially as contrasted to the head as the center of the intellect.
His head told him not to fall in love, but his heart had the final say.
capacity for sympathy; feeling; affection.
His heart moved him to help people in need.
spirit, courage, or enthusiasm.
His heart sank when he walked into the room and saw their gloomy faces.
the innermost or central part of anything.
Notre Dame stands in the very heart of Paris.
the vital or essential part; core.
the heart of the matter.
the breast or bosom.
to clasp a person to one's heart.
a person (used especially in expressions of praise or affection).
dear heart.
a conventional shape with rounded sides meeting in a point at the bottom and curving inward to a cusp at the top.
a red figure or pip of this shape on a playing card.
a card of the suit bearing such figures.
hearts,
1. (used with a singular or plural verb), the suit so marked.
  Hearts is trump. Hearts are trump.
2. (used with a singular verb), a game in which the players try to avoid taking tricks containing this suit.
Botany., the core of a tree; the solid central part without sap or albumen.
good condition for production, growth, etc., as of land or crops.
Also called core. Ropemaking., a strand running through the center of a rope, the other strands being laid around it.

verb (used with object)

Archaic.
1. to fix in the heart.
2. to encourage.
Informal., to like or enjoy very much; love.
I heart Chicago.

heart

/ hɑːt /

noun

the hollow muscular organ in vertebrates whose contractions propel the blood through the circulatory system. In mammals it consists of a right and left atrium and a right and left ventricle
the corresponding organ or part in invertebrates
this organ considered as the seat of life and emotions, esp love
emotional mood or disposition
a happy heart
a change of heart
tenderness or pity
you have no heart
courage or spirit; bravery
the inmost or most central part of a thing
the heart of the city
the most important or vital part
the heart of the matter
(of vegetables such as cabbage) the inner compact part
the core of a tree
the part nearest the heart of a person; breast
she held him to her heart
a dearly loved person: usually used as a term of address
dearest heart
a conventionalized representation of the heart, having two rounded lobes at the top meeting in a point at the bottom
1. a red heart-shaped symbol on a playing card
2. a card with one or more of these symbols or ( when pl. ) the suit of cards so marked
a fertile condition in land, conducive to vigorous growth in crops or herbage (esp in the phrase in good heart )
appealing to one's own disposition, taste, or tendencies
in reality or fundamentally
to grieve or cause to grieve very deeply, esp through love
by committing to memory
I promise!
to brood or pine with grief or longing
very sincerely or deeply
be kind or merciful
(usually used with a negative) to have enthusiasm for something
to be depressed or down-hearted
to be full of apprehension, excitement, or fear
1. to be kind, thoughtful, or generous
2. to mean well
(usually used with a negative) to have the necessary will, callousness, etc (to do something)
I didn't have the heart to tell him
absolutely; completely
the depths of one's conscience or emotions
a brave person
secretly; fundamentally
to become despondent or disillusioned (over something)
to fall in love with
cherished or important
to have as one's ambition to obtain; covet
to become encouraged
to take seriously or be upset about
as much as one wishes
to show one's feelings openly
very willingly

verb

(intr) (of vegetables) to form a heart
an archaic word for hearten

heart

The hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood through the body of a vertebrate animal by contracting and relaxing. In humans and other mammals, it has four chambers, consisting of two atria and two ventricles. The right side of the heart collects blood with low oxygen levels from the veins and pumps it to the lungs. The left side receives blood with high oxygen levels from the lungs and pumps it into the aorta, which carries it to the arteries of the body. The heart in other vertebrates functions similarly but often has fewer chambers.
A similar but simpler organ in invertebrate animals.

heart

The hollow muscular organ that is the center of the circulatory system. The heart pumps blood throughout the intricate system of blood vessels in the body.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of heart¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English herte, Old English heorte; cognate with Dutch hart, German Herz, Old Norse hjarta, Gothic hairtō; akin to Latin cor ( cordial , courage ), Greek kardía ( cardio- ); heart def. 19 comes from the use of the stylized heart symbol to represent love

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Word History and Origins

Origin of heart¹

Old English heorte; related to Old Norse hjarta, Gothic hairtō, Old High German herza, Latin cor, Greek kardia, Old Irish cride

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

with all one's heart,
1. with earnestness or zeal.
2. with willingness; cordially.
  She welcomed the visitors with all her heart.
take / lay to heart,
1. to think seriously about; concern oneself with.
  He took to heart his father's advice.
2. to be deeply affected by; grieve over.
  She was prone to take criticism too much to heart.
set one's heart at rest, to dismiss one's anxieties.
She couldn't set her heart at rest until she knew he had returned safely.
in one's heart of hearts, in one's private thoughts or feelings; deep within one: Also in one's heart
He knew, in his heart of hearts, that the news would be bad.
by heart, by memory; word-for-word.
They knew the song by heart.
not have the heart, to lack the necessary courage or callousness to do something.
No one had the heart to tell him he was finished as an actor.
have a heart, to be compassionate or merciful.
Please have a heart and give her another chance.
set one's heart against, to be unalterably opposed to: Also have one's heart set against
She had set her heart against selling the statue.
have one's heart in one's mouth, to be very anxious or fearful.
He wanted to do the courageous thing, but his heart was in his mouth.
take heart, to regain one's courage; become heartened.
Her son's death was a great blow, but she eventually took heart, convinced that she could go on.
lose one's heart to, to fall in love with.
He lost his heart to the prima ballerina.
do someone's heart good, to give happiness or pleasure to; delight.
It does my heart good to see you again.
heart and soul, enthusiastically; fervently; completely.
They entered heart and soul into the spirit of the holiday.
eat one's heart out, to have jealousy, longing, or sorrow dominate one's emotions (often used in the imperative and with jocular reference to a famous potential rival).
My baby is a genius—Einstein, eat your heart out!
He’s eating his heart out over his defeat.
break someone's heart, to cause someone great disappointment or sorrow, as to disappoint in love.
The news that their son had been arrested broke their hearts.
from the bottom of one's heart, with complete sincerity. Also from one's heart, from the heart
at heart, in reality; fundamentally.
At heart she is a romantic.
near / dear / close to one's heart, of great interest or concern to one.
It is a cause that is very near to his heart.
after one's own heart, in keeping with one's taste or preference.
There's a man after my own heart!
my heart is full. my heart is full.
cross one's heart, to maintain the truth of one's statement; affirm one's integrity.
That's exactly what they told me, I cross my heart!
have at heart, to have as an object, aim, or desire.
to have another's best interests at heart.
have one's heart in the right place, to be fundamentally kind, generous, or well-intentioned.
The old gentleman may have a stern manner, but his heart is in the right place.
wear one's heart on one's sleeve,
1. to make one's intimate feelings or personal affairs known to all.
  She was not the kind who would wear her heart on her sleeve.
2. to be liable to fall in love; fall in love easily.
  How lovely to be young and wear our hearts on our sleeves!
to one's heart's content, until one is satisfied; as much or as long as one wishes.
The children played in the snow to their heart's content.
pour out one's heart, to reveal one's thoughts or private feelings: Also open one's heart
She poured out her heart to me.
set one's heart on, to wish for intensely; determine on: Also have one's heart set on
She has set her heart on going to Europe after graduation.

More idioms and phrases containing heart

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It feels a little too carefully arranged to ever truly get under your skin as a modern-day affair about disillusioned hearts.

From Los Angeles Times

But she eventually decided she needed freedom and space, so I scooped up my splintered heart and moved on.

From Los Angeles Times

It said the funding would help "transform the building into a modern, energy-efficient, year-round arts venue at the heart of the community".

From BBC

Ripken had jogged into the dugout but emerged for eight curtain calls, waving to the crowd and tapping his heart.

From Los Angeles Times

Early reports flagged a type of heart swelling called myocarditis as a rare side effect of the mRNA vaccine, particularly for young men ages 18 to 25 after a booster dose.

From Salon

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Hearst, William Randolph heartache

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