Idiom
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Absence makes the heart grow fonder means that being apart from someone you love often makes you care about them even more.
How people use it
People say it about couples, friends and families separated by travel, work, school or distance, often to comfort someone: You'll miss each other, but absence makes the heart grow fonder. It can also be used about places and things, like a hometown or a favorite food. The tone is neutral and a little sentimental. People often answer it with the opposite saying, out of sight, out of mind, which suggests that distance makes feelings fade. Both are said, and both are partly true.
Examples
- Maya spent a semester abroad, and absence made the heart grow fonder for her and her boyfriend.
- My grandparents say absence makes the heart grow fonder; they wrote letters for two years while Grandpa worked overseas.
- After a month at camp, Leo even missed his little sister, so absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
Where it comes from
The idea is ancient: the Roman poet Propertius wrote that love grows stronger for those who are apart. The exact English wording became well known in the 1800s, helped by a popular song by the English songwriter Thomas Haynes Bayly that used it as a line. It has been a common proverb ever since.
Check yourself
1. What does absence makes the heart grow fonder suggest?
Answer: Time apart can make love stronger. The proverb means missing someone often makes you care for them more.
2. Which saying expresses the opposite idea?
Answer: Out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind suggests that distance makes feelings fade.
Similar idioms
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