heart

noun \ ˈhärt \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of heart

1 a : a hollow muscular organ of vertebrate animals that by its rhythmic contraction acts as a force pump maintaining the circulation of the blood

could feel her heart pounding

b : a structure in an invertebrate animal functionally analogous to the vertebrate heart

c : breast, bosom

placed his hand on his heart

d : something resembling a heart in shape; specifically : a stylized representation of a heart

a card decorated with hearts and flowers

2 a : a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a red heart

b hearts plural : the suit comprising cards marked with hearts

the five of hearts

c hearts plural in form but singular or plural in construction : a game in which the object is to avoid taking tricks (see ¹trick 4) containing hearts

3 a : personality, disposition

a cold heart

b obsolete : intellect

4 : the emotional or moral nature as distinguished from the intellectual nature: such as

a : generous disposition : compassion

a leader with heart

b : love, affection

won her heart

c : courage or enthusiasm especially when maintained during a diffiicult situation

never lost heart

5 : one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations

knew it in his heart

a man after my own heart

6 a : the central or innermost part : center

a cabin in the heart of the forest

b : the essential or most vital part of something

the heart of the city

get to the heart of the matter

c : the younger central compact part of a leafy rosette (such as a head of lettuce or stalk of celery)

— at heart

: in essence : basically, essentially

a romantic at heart

— by heart

: by rote or from memory

knows the poem by heart

— to heart

: with deep concern

took the criticism to heart

See heart defined for English-language learners

See heart defined for kids

Examples of heart in a Sentence

I could feel my heart pounding.
He has a bad heart.
He put his hand on his heart.
When she heard the news, her heart filled with joy.
She just couldn't find it in her heart to forgive them.
I felt in my heart that our relationship was never meant to be.
a ruler without a heart
Have a heart! Can't you see he needs help?

Recent Examples of heart from the Web

Brandon was a good man and loved with all his heart.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 7/14," 14 July 2018
Physicians are problem-solvers and tinkerers, creative and curious scientists at heart, and often lifelong learners.

— alexi nazem, STAT, "Health care needs more physician CEOs like Atul Gawande," 13 July 2018
The Aris patriarch, Antoine, is 90 years old and his heart is weak, so no one dares to tell him that one of his adult children has died abroad.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Swing' ('Al Marjouha'): Film Review | Karlovy Vary 2018," 12 July 2018
But in the end, the power to change online culture is not reliant solely on our ability to engage or explain, but on something outside of our control: whether or not the other person can open their heart and listen.

— film crit hulk, The Verge, "Don’t feed the trolls, and other hideous lies," 12 July 2018
My heart was on the outside now, shelled and glistening.

— liz arnold, Longreads, "Making Peace with the Site of a Suicide," 11 July 2018
Medical innovation and strategic investment The quest to provide these societal necessities lies at the heart of Haifa's efforts to modernize, and is prompting the university to take a leading role facilitating change.

— jeffrey barken, Jewish Journal, "Haifa's on the rise with university leading the way," 11 July 2018
Book Buddies are back; July 18, 25, Aug. 1, from 1 to 2 p.m. The library and Senior Center are collaborating to bring together the young and young at heart.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Colchester Edition," 10 July 2018
Hopefully, Chucky will live to tell his grandchildren about his own heart-wrenching story.

— taylor jade powell, Cincinnati.com, "3 headlines: Cincy's most expensive home, Chucky the groundhog and zoo animals keep cool," 3 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heart.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of heart

Origin and Etymology of heart

Middle English hert, from Old English heorte; akin to Old High German herza heart, Latin cord-, cor, Greek kardia

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

heart Synonyms

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

heart

verb

Definition of heart

hearted; hearting; hearts

transitive verb

1 informal : ²love

Jane hearts John.

I loathe beer. But I heart beer commercials …
—Rochell D. Thomas

2 archaic : hearten

3 archaic : to fix in the heart

Origin and Etymology of heart

see ¹heart

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

Heart

geographical name \ ˈhärt \

Definition of Heart

river in southwestern North Dakota flowing 200 miles (320 kilometers) east into the Missouri River opposite Bismarck

HEART Defined for English Language Learners

heart

noun

Definition of heart for English Language Learners

: the organ in your chest that pumps blood through your veins and arteries
: the front part of your chest
: the heart thought of as the place where emotions are felt

HEART Defined for Kids

heart

noun \ ˈhärt \

Definition of heart for Students

1 : a hollow muscular organ of the body that expands and contracts to move blood through the arteries and veins

2 : something shaped like a heart

a Valentine's heart

3 : a part near the center or deep into the interior

They reached the heart of the desert.

4 : the most essential part

That's the heart of the problem.

5 : human feelings

Speak from your heart.

6 : courage or enthusiasm

I don't have the heart to tell them what happened.

— by heart

: so as to be able to repeat from memory

I think I'm going to learn his new phone number by heart.
—Paula Danziger, Amber Brown

Medical Dictionary

heart

noun \ ˈhärt \

medical Definition of heart

1 : a hollow muscular organ of vertebrate animals that by its rhythmic contraction acts as a force pump maintaining the circulation of the blood and that in the human adult is about five inches (13 centimeters) long and three and one half inches (9 centimeters) broad, is of conical form, is placed obliquely in the chest with the broad end upward and to the right and the apex opposite the interval between the cartilages of the fifth and sixth ribs on the left side, is enclosed in a serous pericardium, and consists as in other mammals and in birds of four chambers divided into an upper pair of rather thin-walled atria which receive blood from the veins and a lower pair of thick-walled ventricles into which the blood is forced and which in turn pump it into the arteries

2 : a structure in an invertebrate animal functionally analogous to the vertebrate heart