heartstrings
Americanplural noun
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of heartstrings
First recorded in 1475–85; heart + strings ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing heartstrings
Vocabulary from poems about being an American
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"Refugee in America"
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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.
“The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan” strikes the right balance of sincerity in the hands of Jasmine Warga, though there’s still plenty of material to tug at the heartstrings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Sometimes, it’s easier to say “no” to a request than to resist someone pulling at your heartstrings to acquiesce to their wishes.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026
The image of a fluffy white dog cowering in a corner tugged on heartstrings across the globe.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
However, the black and white spaniel still happily greeted her rescuers with a wagging tail which "pulled on the heartstrings", she said.
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026
To get them interested you had to pull at the heartstrings.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
