change of heart

American

noun

a reversal of one's feelings, intentions, opinions, etc..

At first Mother said we couldn't go, but she had a change of heart and let us.

change of heart Idioms

Altered feelings or attitude, as in Paul didn't like his new job, but a raise prompted a change of heart and he became quite enthusiastic. [Early 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of change of heart

First recorded in 1820–30

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.

Only three of them will now remain in Australia, after another member of the group had a change of heart earlier in the week.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

"I've had a different creative change of heart," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

That might signal a change of heart around the dollar.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

The Indiana Hoosiers were facing fourth-and-4 on the biggest nights of their lives on Monday when head coach Curt Cignetti had a sudden change of heart.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

As soon as Roberto’s mother heard that Pastor Vasquez was coming for dinner on Friday, she had a change of heart.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023