Meaning & use
a change of heart
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Meaning
phrasesingular
A change in the way someone feels or thinks about something, especially a decision they had made.
Grammar: Used as a singular countable phrase: 'a change of heart'. You can say 'have a change of heart' or 'a change of heart about something'.
Patterns
- have a change of heart
- a change of heart about something
- a change of heart on something
She was going to sell the house, but then she had a change of heart.
The manager had a change of heart and decided to give him another chance.
There has been a change of heart among the voters.
Common combinations
- have a change of heart
- He had a change of heart and apologized.
- a change of heart about
- She had a change of heart about moving abroad.
- a sudden change of heart
- His sudden change of heart surprised everyone.
- a change of heart on
- The government had a change of heart on the new tax.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reconsider
- To reconsider is a verb meaning to think again; a change of heart is the noun phrase for the result of that.
- turnaround
- A turnaround is a complete reversal, often in business or politics; a change of heart is more personal and emotional.
Opposites
Commonly confused: a change of heart or change of mind?
a change of heart vs change of mind
A change of mind is a decision to do something different; a change of heart is more about feelings and often sounds more emotional.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a change of heart' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'A change of heart' means a change in feelings or decision. Only option 0 uses it with that meaning. The others treat it literally or as a physical object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a change of heart”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.