heartstring
noun
Did you know?
Heartstring Has a Medical History
Before a love song could tug at your heartstrings, the job was more likely to be accomplished by a surgeon: the word heartstring used to refer to a nerve believed to sustain the heart. You might recognize the word's second syllable in hamstring, which refers to both a group of tendons at the back of the knee and to any of three muscles at the backs of the upper legs. It's also apparent in a rare dialect term for the Achilles tendon: heel string. And in light of these terms, it's not surprising to know that string itself was at one time used independently to refer to bodily cords like tendons and ligaments.
Examples of heartstring in a Sentence
Jordan Greene, People.com, 25 July 2025
This moment, which tugged at my heartstrings, resonated with others across social media, as the video of Tiny Chef receiving the phone call about his cancellation went viral on X, TikTok, and Instagram.
—Braedon Montgomery, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
There are all these beautiful heartstrings that connect our hearts together.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 14 June 2025
After an unexpected loss of the couple's canine, Alanna and Keith decided to open their hearts to a senior dog whose eyes immediately pulled at their heartstrings.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartstring
Cite this Entry
“Heartstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartstring. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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heartstring
noun
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