Idiom
Wear your heart on your sleeve
If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you show your feelings openly, so others can easily see how you feel.
How people use it
It describes people who don't hide their emotions, whether love, joy, hurt or anger: Ben wears his heart on his sleeve, so you always know when he's upset. It can be admiring (honest and warm) or slightly worried (easily hurt or too open). The pronoun changes to fit the person. It is informal to neutral.
Examples
- Maya wears her heart on her sleeve, so her friends knew right away she'd had bad news.
- He's a coach who wears his heart on his sleeve, cheering every good play.
- Try not to wear your heart on your sleeve during the salary talks.
Where it comes from
Shakespeare's Othello (around 1603) has the earliest well-known use. The scheming Iago says he will wear his heart upon his sleeve for birds to peck at, meaning that showing his true feelings would leave him exposed. A popular story says medieval knights wore a lady's token on their arm at tournaments, but there is no clear evidence that this gave us the phrase.
Check yourself
1. What does it mean if someone wears their heart on their sleeve?
Answer: They show their feelings openly. The idiom describes someone whose emotions are easy to see.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Sam wears his heart on his sleeve, so he cried openly at the farewell party.. The idiom means showing feelings openly, so keeping them hidden is the opposite.
Word game fan? See every word hiding in HEART.