wholehearted

adjective

whole·​heart·​ed ˈhōl-ˈhär-təd How to pronounce wholehearted (audio)
1
: completely and sincerely devoted, determined, or enthusiastic
a wholehearted student of social problems
2
: marked by complete earnest commitment : free from all reserve or hesitation
gave the proposal wholehearted approval
wholeheartedly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for wholehearted

sincere, wholehearted, heartfelt, hearty, unfeigned mean genuine in feeling.

sincere stresses absence of hypocrisy, feigning, or any falsifying embellishment or exaggeration.

a sincere apology

wholehearted suggests sincerity and earnest devotion without reservation or misgiving.

promised our wholehearted support

heartfelt suggests depth of genuine feeling outwardly expressed.

expresses our heartfelt gratitude

hearty suggests honesty, warmth, and exuberance in displaying feeling.

received a hearty welcome

unfeigned stresses spontaneity and absence of pretense.

her unfeigned delight at receiving the award

Examples of wholehearted in a Sentence

The judges gave us their wholehearted approval. wholehearted praise for the novel by the leading critics
Recent Examples on the Web Hollywood’s wholehearted embrace of Mexico’s Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro has earned them enviable influential standing, five best directing Oscars in the last 10 years alone and a nickname — the Three Amigos. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 The government, too, under the Republican administrations of Presidents Harding, Coolidge and Hoover, shared this spirit of wholehearted materialism, boosting corporations and otherwise taking a light touch to policy that corresponded with the prevailing anti-government sentiment of the time. Lila Thulin, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 May 2021 Two first-year coaches in Bubba Lemon and Robert Key, whose teams have taken to them with wholehearted-belief early in their tenure. Shane Hoffmann, oregonlive, 12 Mar. 2023 Now, the GOP is struggling to negotiate Trump’s wholehearted embrace of fringe candidates. Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, 19 Aug. 2020 With Tehran’s utter rejection of Biden administration efforts for conciliation and its wholehearted embrace of Moscow, U.S. and Israeli views of Iran have become more aligned. Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2023 Congratulations to @RishiSunak on this historic day, this is the moment for every Conservative to give our new PM their full and wholehearted support. Devika Rao, The Week, 25 Oct. 2022 Stardust says Leos are tremendously kind, generous and wholehearted. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2022 Zuckerberg finished his talk with a wholehearted endorsement. Steven Levy, WIRED, 8 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wholehearted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wholehearted was in 1644

Dictionary Entries Near wholehearted

Cite this Entry

“Wholehearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholehearted. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wholehearted

adjective
whole·​heart·​ed ˈhōl-ˈhärt-əd How to pronounce wholehearted (audio)
: not lacking in enthusiasm, determination, or devotion : hearty
wholehearted effort
wholeheartedly adverb
wholeheartedness noun

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