wear heart on sleeve

W

wear your heart on your sleeve

Meaning | Synonyms

• display your emotions openly
• make your feelings apparent and obvious
• openly reveal your feelings and emotions
• unable to hide your emotions and feelings
• be emotionally transparent
• be open or forthright about your emotions.

Example Sentences

1. It was evident that he was in love with her. He wore his heart on his sleeve and you could see how he felt about her.
2. She is a very sensitive person and wears her heart on her sleeve, so it very easy to hurt her feelings.
3. Sam always wears his heart on his sleeve, so everyone knew how he was feeling.
4. He wore his heart on his sleeve and it was obvious that he was shattered by his recent breakup with his girlfriend.
5. If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you will be very vulnerable and people are going to take advantage of you.
6. She used to be a very passionate woman who wore her heart on her sleeve, but repeated rejections and mistreatment at the hands of the ones she trusted made her go into a shell and bottle her emotions up.

Origin

This phrase was first recorded in Shakespeare’s play “Othello” in 1604, where the treacherous Iago says this to feign openness and vulnerability.

About the Author

Elena Jones holds a PhD in Education from Harvard University. She has extensive experience teaching at both the K–12 and university levels, with a particular focus on English as a Second Language. Elena has dedicated her career to advancing educational practices, and she has contributed to numerous educational journals.

Emotion, Heart, Love