ENGLISH
REFERENCE

heart of hearts

idiom
Meaning

One's innermost private feelings.


Examples
SIMPLE

In my heart of hearts, I know I made the right choice.

CONTEXTUAL

She told her friend that, in her heart of hearts, she was not ready to move to a new city.

COMPLEX

Although he maintained a confident facade during the negotiations, he admitted in his heart of hearts that he feared the project would ultimately fail.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    absence makes the heart grow fonder

    One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.

  2. 02

    all heart

    Motivated by positive emotions, especially as productive of exceptionally generous or kind behavior.

  3. 03

    be still my heart

    An admonition to oneself to calm down when overly excited, especially in terms of romantic attraction.

  4. 04

    break someone's heart

    To cause a person to feel grief, disappointment, or sadness.

  5. 05

    broken heart

    A feeling of grief or loss, especially after a failed romantic relationship.

  6. 06

    change of heart

    A change of one's opinion, belief or decision.

  7. 07

    cross my heart

    A declaration that the speaker is telling the truth.

  8. 08

    cross my heart and hope to die

    Added to a promise or a statement to show how serious one was about being honest in what one said

Last updated April 17, 2026