weak heart
1
6.5
- noun
- /wiːk hɑrt/
- Offensive
:
cobarde
Examples
-
He was sixty years old and, because of his weak heart, already an old man.
Fiction book (2001) -
The iron wheel of the wheelbarrow bounced on the pavement, the helpless body flew up like a sack, and the professor felt that his weak heart was going to stop.
Fiction book (2001) -
This story will end with a mob dragging an old man with a weak heart—a retired professor and former law school dean—out of his house and loading him onto a wheelbarrow as they cry out in anger and derision.
Fiction book (2001) -
She is known for her sensitive nature and has often been called a person with a weak heart.
-
Due to his weak heart, he often avoided confrontation and emotional situations.
-
Many describe her as having a weak heart because she cries easily when watching sad movies.
Antonyms
How Fearful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'easily frightened / sensitive to emotional shocks' is directly derived from combining 'weak' (lacking strength or courage) with 'heart' (the centre of emotions/bravery); the adjective describes a heart that lacks courage. This compositional metaphor (weak‑hearted) is common in English and in many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase weak heart comes from the image of a weak heart that cannot take scary things or strong feelings, so the person might feel pain or faint. That's why we say someone has a weak heart when they are 'easily frightened' or very sensitive to emotions.