heart balm
- noun
- Archaic
:
bálsamo del corazón
- After her breakup, spending time with friends was a true heart balm for her wounded spirit.
Examples
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That gentle letter acted as a heart balm amid the chaos of the day.
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Memories of their childhood together were a heart balm in his moments of sadness.
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A warm hug is a heart balm.
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Listening to music is a great heart balm.
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After her breakup, spending time with friends was a true heart balm for her wounded spirit.
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Memories of their childhood together were a heart balm in his moments of sadness.
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That gentle letter acted as a heart balm amid the chaos of the day.
Synonyms
Something that makes a worried person feel calm
Something that brings comfort and relief in times of trouble
Antonyms
How Soothing
Surface Forms
Morphology
heart + balm
The compound combines 'heart' (centre of emotions) with 'balm' (a soothing ointment), so the meaning 'something that soothes emotional pain' is a direct, predictable metaphorical extension of the literal parts. This balm-for-emotion metaphor is common and cross-linguistically accessible, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended sense.
Etymology
Heart balm creates the image of a soothing balm put on a wounded heart, like medicine for strong feelings. That's why it means something that gives 'emotional comfort' or eases heartache.