Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

wholehearted

play
adjective whole·heart·ed \ ˈhōl-ˈhär-təd \

Definition of wholehearted

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

See wholehearted defined for English-language learners

See wholehearted defined for kids

Read the Latest from M-W

image1644821030
These Are Fighting Words
alt-59c448f88ea38
Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'
young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Examples of wholehearted in a Sentence

  1. The judges gave us their wholehearted approval.

  2. wholehearted praise for the novel by the leading critics

Recent Examples of wholehearted from the Web

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

First Known Use of wholehearted

1644

wholehearted Synonyms

Synonyms
hearty, whole-souled
Antonyms
grudging, halfhearted, lukewarm, tepid
Related Words
single-minded; ardent, avid, eager, enthusiastic, excited, exuberant, fervent, gung ho, impassioned, keen, mettlesome, passionate, raring, vehement, warm, zealous; animated, energetic, lively, spirited, vigorous; absolute, bona fide, earnest, genuine, heartfelt, sincere, unaffected, undisguised, unequivocal, unfeigned, unrestrained
Near Antonyms
apathetic, disinterested, dispassionate, indifferent, uninterested; lackadaisical, listless, perfunctory, spiritless, uneager, unenthusiastic, unexcited; equivocal, hesitant, qualified, tentative, uncertain; delayed, dilatory, doubtful, hedging, hesitating; forced, reluctant, resistant, reticent, unwilling

Synonym Discussion of 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

WHOLEHEARTED Defined for English Language Learners

wholehearted

play
adjective

Definition of wholehearted for English Language Learners

  • : having or showing no doubt or uncertainty about doing something, supporting someone, etc.

WHOLEHEARTED Defined for Kids

wholehearted

play
adjective whole·heart·ed \ ˈhōl-ˈhär-təd \

Definition of wholehearted for Students

:not holding back
  • a wholehearted effort
—

wholeheartedly

adverb

Learn More about wholehearted

  1. See words that rhyme with wholehearted Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wholehearted Spanish Central: Translation of wholehearted Nglish: Translation of wholehearted for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up wholehearted? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

anathematize

play

to curse or denounce

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. dotage, dotard a state or period of senile decay

  2. otherwise "in other respects"

  3. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  4. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  5. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

wholehearted

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

  • young-plant-shoots
  • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c919f342079
'Diffuse' vs. 'Defuse'

Let us defuse the situation.

alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

alt-59c4207ecf106
Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

image1644821030
8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Tip: Synonym Guide
Examples: wholehearted in a Sentence