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have the heart to

Idioms  

  1. see not have the heart to. Also see have a heart; heart in it.

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.

Edward Johnson III, the chief executive of investing titan Fidelity, sent a board trustee to deliver a message to his daughter he didn’t have the heart to tell her himself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

We didn’t have the heart to tell him.

From Slate • Sep. 20, 2025

"You'll be lucky if you have the heart to stick around as long as I have."

From Salon • Dec. 8, 2024

"Fatoumatta was a very happy, bubbly woman who wouldn't have the heart to hurt a fly," he said.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2022

I guess Mister Johnny didn’t have the heart to send him home for somebody younger.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

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.