single-hearted
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of single-hearted
First recorded in 1570–80
Explanation
If your friend is single-hearted, she's the same person to everyone; she knows what she thinks, means what she says, and puts her whole self into whatever she does. And you are lucky to know her! Single-hearted is similar in meaning to wholehearted: The image it brings to mind is of the person's heart, or center, not being divided into parts. It's not split between conflicting loyalties or motives, not divided between thought and action, or between a secret inner self and the self shown to the world. Single-hearted people are not always second-guessing their ideas and plans — they make a decision and stick to it, set a goal and then go for it with all they've got.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Through this election we will fully display the might of the single-hearted unity of our army and people," said Hyon Byong-chol, chairman of a preparatory committee for one of the sub-districts in the election.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2014
Did he fancy that his subtle lieutenant, the associate of all his deep intrigues, the confidant of his darkest schemes, was suddenly to see in him nothing but magnanimity of soul and single-hearted devotedness?
From Davenport Dunn, Volume 2 (of 2) A Man Of Our Day by Charles James Lever
At every point the voices of the dead bespoke, in the King’s words, “the single-hearted assembly of nations and races which form our Empire.”
From The King's Pilgrimage by Sir Frank Fox
For bad by Florentine Academy, for good, far beyond all others, by Steinle, a noble-minded, single-hearted artist, s'il en fut.
From The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic Leighton Volume I by Mrs. Russell Barrington
All his free time and energy Spinoza dedicated with unusual single-hearted devotion to the disinterested development of a philosophy he knew would not be very acceptable to the general or even special philosophic reader.
From The Philosophy of Spinoza by Joseph Ratner
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