absence makes the heart grow fonder
- idiom
- Informal
:
la ausencia hace crecer el cariño
- When her partner traveled for work, she truly understood that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Examples
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As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and their long-distance relationship proved it.
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They reunited after a year apart and agreed that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
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It's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
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After spending a year apart, they realized that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
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While studying abroad, she learned that absence makes the heart grow fonder as she missed her family more than ever.
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Their lengthy separation confirmed that absence makes the heart grow fonder, strengthening their love for each other.
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He found that absence makes the heart grow fonder when he missed his friends during the months he spent away.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
absence + make + the + heart + grow + fond
The proverb's meaning is directly derivable from its parts: 'absence' (being apart) + 'makes' (causes) + 'the heart grow fonder' (heart = feelings; grow fonder = become more affectionate). The metaphorical use of 'heart' for emotions is conventional and widely attested across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reasonably infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Absence makes the heart grow fonder may come from old poems about lovers who were apart. When the loved person is far away you miss them and your heart feels more love, so the saying means 'being separated from someone makes you care for them even more'.
