heart

noun

Save Word

\ ˈhärt

plural hearts

Definition of heart

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

2a : 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 trick entry 1 sense 4) containing hearts

3a : 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 difficult situation never lost heart — see also take heart

5 : one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations knew it in his heart a man after my own heart

6a : 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

heart

verb

hearted; hearting; hearts

Definition of heart (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 informal

a : love entry 2 Jane hearts John. I loathe beer. But I heart beer commercials …— Rochell D. Thomas

b : to like (see like entry 1 sense 4) an online post, comment, etc., especially by clicking or tapping a heart-shaped symbol The tweet still hits home so much, not just for us, but for the 2.6 million that hearted her tweet too. — The Edge (Auckland, New Zealand)

2 archaic : hearten

3 archaic : to fix in the heart

Heart

geographical name

\ ˈhärt

Definition of Heart (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about heart

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of heart in a Sentence

Noun 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 on the Web: Noun But now his administration has come up with a plan to place a construction-training institute accompanied by a concrete plant and an asphalt plant on an 8-acre-plus site at a key intersection in the heart of the land assembled around the boulevard. — Steven Litt, cleveland, "City proposal to put asphalt, concrete plants in Opportunity Corridor ignores prior plans, undermines chances for success," 1 May 2021 Alpha & Omega, in the heart of Dudley — now Nubian — Square in Roxbury, spent decades surviving ludicrous odds. — BostonGlobe.com, "New beginning for a Roxbury institution," 1 May 2021 Between lime green, glittery pink and heart-shaped gems, there are tons of different designs to choose from. — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, "Ariana Grande Just Wore the ‘00s Bubble Ring Trend TikTok is Obsessed With," 30 Apr. 2021 Located in the heart of Sugar House at 1201 Wilmington Ave. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "Get the boba tea you crave at these Utah shops," 30 Apr. 2021 In the heart of the outbreak, a trauma surgeon travelled to the edge and back. — Sam Knight, The New Yorker, "The Bodies Piled High, Whatever Boris Johnson Said," 30 Apr. 2021 The pool was sometimes used for ice skating until 2006, and the park was a relatively secluded spot in the heart of the monumental core of Washington, favored by office workers for lunch and a little sun and air. — Washington Post, "Finally, the nation’s capital has a proper World War I memorial. But can it revive memories of a war that’s mostly forgotten?," 30 Apr. 2021 In Yangon, a group of young demonstrators marched through heavy rain in the heart of the country's biggest city. — Star Tribune, "UN says conflict in Myanmar impedes its humanitarian aid," 30 Apr. 2021 Our heart breaks every time a case goes unresolved. — Los Angeles Times, "Funeral pyres burn. Gravediggers know no rest. India’s COVID-19 crisis is a ‘nightmare’," 28 Apr. 2021

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.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for heart

heart

noun

English Language Learners Definition of heart

: 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

See the full definition for heart in the English Language Learners Dictionary

heart

noun

\ ˈhärt

Kids Definition of heart

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

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