heartwarming
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of heartwarming
First recorded in 1895–1900; heart + warming ( def. )
Explanation
Heartwarming things move and inspire you. If you want to get a job writing greeting cards, you better learn how to write heartwarming messages. When you're sick, little gifts and offers of support from your friends can be heartwarming, and stories that end with lost dogs reunited with their families, or good people living happily ever, after are also heartwarming. The origin of this adjective is fairly obvious: it describes things that "warm," or give a feeling of affection and pleasure to, your heart. A related word is warm-hearted, which dates from the 16th century.
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.
The film is also a deceptively heartwarming ode to self-expression, and the kind of life that can be cobbled together with an unyielding commitment to individuality.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
"I enjoy doing that, but it's also nice to play someone heartwarming and just a really good person overall, so I just enjoy being able to do both."
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Mr. Coyle has other stories of fun, impromptu group collaborations that lead to heartwarming results.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
Photos released by the local sheriff’s department in the wake of the couple’s deaths also revealed insight into their heartwarming romance, capturing sweet love notes that Hackman had left for his wife in their home.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 19, 2026
She charmed them with heartwarming tales of making popadam in her grandmother’s kitchen while simultaneously introducing the old woman to the joys of hip-hop.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
