Heart is a noun with three core meanings: (1) the muscular organ in your chest that pumps blood around the body; (2) the centre of a person's emotions, feelings, and character; (3) the most important or central part of something. It also appears in the common phrase by heart, meaning from memory.
What Does Heart Mean?
Heart is one of the oldest and most versatile words in the English language. Its Old English form heorte shares a root with Latin cor (seen in core, cordial, and accord) and Greek kardia (seen in cardiac and cardiogram). The word has been central to English for over a thousand years.
At its most literal, the heart is the fist-sized muscle in the left-centre of your chest that keeps you alive by circulating blood. In everyday speech, though, heart is used far more often in figurative senses: your emotional life, your courage, your compassion, and your deepest feelings all live in your metaphorical heart.
The third sense — the most important part — appears in phrases such as the heart of the matter, the heart of the city, and the heart of the problem. Here, heart is synonymous with core or centre. Understanding all three senses is essential for reading English naturally, since context alone tells you which meaning applies.
Etymology
Old English heorte (before 900 AD) descended from Proto-Germanic *hertô, which is cognate with Old High German herza, Gothic hairtō, and Old Norse hjarta. The Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerd- also produced Latin cor / cordis and Greek kardia. This gives English two parallel families: Germanic (heart, heartfelt, wholehearted) and Latinate/Greek (cardiac, cordial, accord, courage — which ultimately derives from Latin cor). See Cambridge Dictionary's full entry on “heart” for more examples.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| My heart beats fast when I run. | A2 — literal, anatomical sense |
| She learned the poem by heart. | B1 — fixed phrase: from memory |
| He has a very kind heart and always helps his neighbours. | B1 — figurative: emotional character |
| The talks finally got to the heart of the dispute after three days of negotiation. | B2 — figurative: the central issue |
| Despite her misgivings, she threw herself wholeheartedly into the project. | C1 — compound adverb derived from heart |
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning / example |
|---|---|
| broken heart | great sadness from loss or rejection — She was devastated by the broken heart he left her with. |
| heart attack | sudden, serious medical event when blood flow to the heart is blocked — He suffered a heart attack at 55. |
| heart rate | the number of heartbeats per minute — Exercise increases your heart rate. |
| from the bottom of my heart | with complete sincerity — Thank you from the bottom of my heart. |
| by heart | from memory — He knows all the capitals by heart. |
| change of heart | a reversal of opinion or feeling — She had a change of heart and decided to stay. |
| set your heart on | want something very much — He set his heart on becoming a doctor. |
| take heart | feel encouraged — Take heart — things will improve. |
| lose heart | become discouraged — Don't lose heart after one setback. |
| heart of the matter | the most important or central aspect — Let's get to the heart of the matter. |
Usage Notes
Three Senses — Three Registers
Keep the three core senses distinct in your writing:
- Literal / medical — heart disease, heart rate, heart surgery. Use in factual or health contexts.
- Emotional / character — kind heart, brave heart, from the heart. Very common in literature, everyday speech, and compliments.
- Core / centre — heart of the city, heart of the problem. Useful in academic and professional writing as a synonym for core or essence.
British English favours wholehearted (one word). The phrases take heart and lose heart are complete verb phrases — do not add an object: say take heart from this news, not take a heart.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I know this song from heart.
I know this song by heart. (the fixed phrase is by heart, not from heart)
She is very brave-hearted, she has a lot of courage of heart.
She is very brave-hearted. / She has a lot of courage. (do not mix the two; courage of heart is not standard)
The heart of problem is the lack of funding.
The heart of the problem is the lack of funding. (always use the definite article before heart of the)
Related Vocabulary
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Want to understand the grammar behind this? Explore our Grammar guides.
Frequently Asked Questions about “heart”
What does heart mean in English?
Heart has three main meanings. Literally, it is the muscular organ in your chest that pumps blood. Figuratively, it refers to your emotions, feelings, and character — as in 'a kind heart'. It also means the most important or central part of something, as in 'the heart of the problem'.
What does 'by heart' mean?
'By heart' means from memory, without looking at any notes. For example: 'She knows all the irregular verbs by heart.' It is used when someone has memorised something so thoroughly that they can recall it without help.
What is the difference between heart and mind?
In English, 'heart' refers to emotions, feelings, and instincts, while 'mind' refers to rational thought and intellect. The contrast appears in many expressions: 'follow your heart' (act on feelings) versus 'make up your mind' (reach a rational decision). In some expressions both appear together: 'I knew in my heart and mind that it was right.'
What are common collocations with heart?
Common collocations include: broken heart, kind heart, warm heart, heavy heart, brave heart, heart attack, heart rate, heart disease, heart of the matter, from the bottom of my heart, take heart, lose heart, set your heart on something, and change of heart.
What does 'heartfelt' mean?
Heartfelt means deeply and sincerely felt. It is used to describe emotions or expressions that come from genuine feeling rather than politeness or obligation. For example: 'She wrote a heartfelt letter of thanks.' Related words include wholehearted, halfhearted, and wholeheartedly.
What is the etymology of the word heart?
Heart comes from Old English 'heorte', which is related to Old High German 'herza', Latin 'cor' (giving us 'core', 'cordial', 'accord'), and Greek 'kardia' (giving us 'cardiac', 'cardiogram'). The Germanic root has been in the language for over a thousand years, making it one of the most ancient words in English.
Can heart be used as a verb?
Heart is primarily a noun, but in informal and social media language it is used as a verb meaning 'to love' or 'to like very much': 'I heart this city!' This usage comes from the heart emoji or symbol (♥) used to express affection online. It is informal and not appropriate in academic or professional writing.
What is the difference between 'kind-hearted' and 'warm-hearted'?
Both describe a generous, caring person. 'Kind-hearted' emphasises a disposition to act generously and helpfully. 'Warm-hearted' emphasises friendliness and emotional warmth — making people feel comfortable and welcomed. The difference is subtle; both are complimentary and often interchangeable.
How do you pronounce heart in British English?
In British English, heart is pronounced /hɑːt/. The 'r' is not pronounced — the vowel is a long open back sound, the same as in 'car', 'hard', and 'park'. In American English it is /hɑːrt/, with the 'r' sounded. Note that 'heart' rhymes with 'art', 'start', and 'part' in British English.
How can I practise using heart in English?
Try LexFizz's Flash Cards to practise heart and its collocations, or use the Complete the Sentence exercise to see heart in real contexts. Because heart appears in so many idioms and compound words, reading novels or watching English films is one of the best ways to absorb its natural usage.