adjective
B2
Upper-Intermediate
heartwarming
HART-wor-ming
Heartwarming (adjective) means causing a feeling of quiet happiness and affection, usually by showing kindness, generosity or love between people. Example: “It was heartwarming to see the whole street turn out for her ninetieth birthday.”
adjective
1
Causing a feeling of quiet happiness and affection, usually by showing kindness, generosity or love between people.
"It was heartwarming to see the whole street turn out for her ninetieth birthday."
"The film ends on a heartwarming note that stops just short of sentimentality."
How to use heartwarming
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that makes you feel happy and touched inside.
When to use it
Neutral and slightly warm in tone; a staple of reviews, news features and social media captions.
Memory tip
Heartwarming describes the thing you see; heartfelt describes the sincerity of the person expressing something.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
heartwarming story
heartwarming moment
heartwarming to see
genuinely heartwarming
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like heartwarming.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
It was _____ to see the whole street turn out for her ninetieth birthday.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for heartwarming
See all rhymes for heartwarming →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between heartwarming and heartbreaking?
Heartwarming describes something that makes you feel warm, glad and reassured about people. Heartbreaking describes something that causes deep sadness or grief. They are direct opposites and are often used as a pair in reviews and headlines.
Is heartwarming one word or two?
One word in modern usage: heartwarming. The hyphenated heart-warming is still standard in British publishing and is not wrong, but the closed form is now more common everywhere.
Can heartwarming be used negatively?
Only ironically. Critics sometimes use it to imply a story is manipulative or saccharine, as in a relentlessly heartwarming crowd-pleaser. On its own the word is positive.
What is the meaning of heartwarming?
"heartwarming" (adjective) means causing a feeling of quiet happiness and affection, usually by showing kindness, generosity or love between people.
