heartstring

noun

heart·​string ˈhärt-ˌstriŋ How to pronounce heartstring (audio)
1
obsolete : a nerve once believed to sustain the heart
2
: the deepest emotions or affections
usually used in plural
That movie really pulls at your heartstrings.

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

Recent Examples on the Web Every dog and cat at an animal shelter in Hamilton County received a special Valentine's gift basket courtesy of Physicians for Wishes and Pet Supplies Plus, a donation that not only tugs at the heartstrings but may have broken the record books. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Feb. 2024 But Jack, who became the defensive backs coach under Bo Schembechler when Jim was 10 years old, grabbed the phone and tugged on his son's heartstrings. Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 Disney+ is tugging on heartstrings with its official trailer for the original docuseries, Choir, released exclusively via Billboard on Monday (Jan. 8). Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 8 Jan. 2024 The five-minute track pulls on relatable heartstrings, talking about battling life’s lows and mental health, as the opening line reflects on the theme of making it through another year. Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2023 For example, when speaking to the German Bundestag, Zelensky referenced the Berlin Wall as well as the Holocaust, a deliberate attempt to tug at the heartstrings and win over the German public. Carmine Gallo, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 But the stuff that tugs at the heartstrings is what could make these devices stick. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024 The show sometimes tackles difficult subjects such as miscarriage—but also friendship, staying true to yourself, and much more all in ways that are easily digestible for children and tug on the heartstrings of parents. Tanay Howard, Parents, 12 Jan. 2024 The standout speech, which ultimately inspires the rest of the Barbies in Barbie Land to snap out of Ken's patriarchal brainwashing, also plucked the heartstrings of another demographic — mothers. Andrea Mandell, Peoplemag, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heartstring.' 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

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heartstring was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near heartstring

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

heartstring

noun
heart·​string -ˌstriŋ How to pronounce heartstring (audio)
: the deepest emotions or affections
touched the heartstrings of the audience
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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