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Synonyms

heart-to-heart

American  
[hahrt-tuh-hahrt] / ˈhɑrt təˌhɑrt /

adjective

  1. frank; sincere.

    We had a heart-to-heart talk about his poor attendance.

noun

  1. Informal. a frank talk, especially between two persons.

heart-to-heart British  

adjective

  1. (esp of a conversation or discussion) concerned with personal problems or intimate feelings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an intimate conversation or discussion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
heart to heart Idioms  

  1. Candidly, sincerely, as in We need to talk heart to heart about her coming marriage. This expression is nearly always applied to a conversation of some kind. [Mid-1900s]

Etymology

Origin of heart-to-heart

First recorded in 1865–70

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.

“We watched film, had a heart-to-heart talk and a shoot around today but that’s it.”

From Los Angeles Times

Six months after losing his "kind, caring, clever and beautiful" partner to sudden adult death syndrome, he says remembering that "heart-to-heart in the car... makes me feel so much better".

From BBC

Evelyn, who was more than 10 years older, poured advice on Calvin as a kid that grew into deep heart-to-heart talks as adults.

From Los Angeles Times

In a heart-to-heart talk with your adult child; acknowledge the pain, hardship or misunderstanding that resulted from your actions or decisions; and ask for forgiveness.

From MarketWatch

“If he and I had a real heart-to-heart, it would’ve been over a lot sooner.”

From Los Angeles Times

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.