have a heart

Idioms

Be merciful, show pity; also, be reasonable. For example, Have a heart—I can't pay you back until next month, or Have a heart and stop your arguing now. This expression is often put as an imperative, as in the examples. [c. 1900] Also see harden one's heart.

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.

In it, she said the medical director of Euracare had told Adichie her son "had received too much sedation", which subsequently caused him to have a heart attack.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

You’d have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025

It tastes the same as regular salt and can reduce the chance you’ll have a heart attack or stroke by 10-15%, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

"He felt he was going to have a heart attack," said Yaneisy.

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025

Matt thought El Patron would have a heart attack if anyone told him to give away his belongings.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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