heart flutter
4
4.1
- noun
- /hɑrt ˈflʌtər/
- felt my heart flutter
Examples
-
It was funny, but at the same time she felt her heart flutter.
Fiction book (1994) -
When he entered the room and saw her smile, he felt a little heart flutter of excitement.
-
The thought of finally achieving her dream made her heart flutter with nervous anticipation.
-
As she approached the stage to give her speech, a heart flutter overcame her, reflecting her excitement.
Synonyms
417
1.0
A strong feeling of happiness and eagerness, or something that causes it
40
5.5
A strong nervous feeling that often comes before an important event
33
2.7
A feeling of being worried or anxious
16
7.5
A strong, fast, or irregular heartbeat you can feel in your chest
6
3.9
A small shaking movement in the voice often caused by fear or excitement
1
3.9
A strong quick beating of the heart from excitement or fear
1
4.4
A small sudden feeling of joy and nervous energy
A feeling of nervous excitement in your stomach before an important event
Antonyms
How Nervous
16
7.5
1
3.9
4
4.1
- Informal
23
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from 'heart' (the seat of emotion/pulse) plus 'flutter' (a quick trembling or palpitating movement), so the phrase denotes the heart beating or fluttering from excitement or nerves. This is a straightforward compositional image found in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The expression heart flutter comes from the image of your heart beating like a small bird's quick wings, a sudden flutter, when you feel 'excited' or 'nervous'. So, it means a short, sudden feeling of excitement or nervousness.