heart-searching
Americannoun
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- heart-searcher noun
Etymology
Origin of heart-searching
First recorded in 1640–50; heart ( def. ) + searching ( def. )
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.
Dudley councillor Pete Lowe said welfare cuts announced on Tuesday were "the final straw" after months of heart-searching and tears.
From BBC
In the aftermath there will be much heart-searching and even recriminations that this massive stockpile of ammonium nitrate was left unattended in such a sensitive place as the docks.
From Washington Times
When Elizabeth, played with exquisite subtlety by Clare Foy, learns that her pledge was based on faulty advice served up by her lugubrious private secretary, Tommy Lascelles, she is full of consternation and hesitant heart-searching.
From New York Times
For the most part, the performers all make the best of these heart-searching songs.
From Washington Times
According to Alex Gregory, the British four conducted a heart-searching session after their semi-final defeat to try and turn the race verdict round.
From The Guardian
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
