heart-to-heart
adjective
frank; sincere.
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heart-to-heart
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heart to heart
heart to heartCandidly, 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]
heart-to-heart
American
[hahrt-tuh-hahrt]
/ ˈhɑrt təˌhɑrt /
adjective
noun
heart-to-heart
British
adjective
noun
heart to heart
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of heart-to-heart
First recorded in 1865–70
Vocabulary lists containing heart-to-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.
At one point, Spaeny looked over to see her brother-in-law having a heart-to-heart with Melton’s dad.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
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 • Dec. 2, 2025
Gauff did not go beyond a quarter-final in the first four months of this season, leading to a heart-to-heart with Faurel after Miami.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2025
“Zoe and I had a heart-to-heart and I said, ‘We can adapt,’” King said, recalling how they decided to create a decentralized model for the company that would allow her to live with her family.
From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024
He had intended for some weeks to have a heart-to-heart talk with Corporal Whitcomb in order to find out what was bothering him, but was already ashamed of what he might find out.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
