at heart
Idioms-
Fundamentally, basically, as in He's a good fellow at heart . It was first recorded in Alexander Pope's Epistle to a Lady (1735): “But every Woman is at heart a Rake.”
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In one's deepest feelings, as a great concern, as in The governor has the party's best interests at heart . [Early 1700s]
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.
It is, at heart, a cooperative act—a republic the size of a field.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
But Stephania lived in turmoil, because she was a feminist at heart.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
The longer you live, the more likely you are to realize that not everyone has your best interests at heart.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Mazariegos, another target of Neighbors First, said he’s convinced the group has wealthy backers who “don’t have our community’s best interests” at heart.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
The Onion Knight has become an old woman, he could hear them thinking, still a smuggler at heart.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
