one's heart sinks
Meaning: To feel sudden disappointment or dread.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “My heart sank when I saw the envelope from the tax office.”
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: The heart is pictured as dropping in the chest, the physical feeling that comes with bad news. The phrase is found from the 18th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: caérsele el alma a los pies — literally: the soul falls to one's feet
More idioms — Body & Senses
- shoulder to shoulder — Side by side, working together.
- tread carefully — To act with great caution in a delicate situation.
- pull the other one — Said to someone telling an obvious lie.
- the heart of the matter — The most important part of an issue.
- rub salt in the wound — To make someone's pain or humiliation worse.
- tread on someone's toes — To offend someone, especially by interfering in what they see as their business.
More English idioms
- jump at the chance — To accept an opportunity eagerly and at once.
- a matter of life and death — Something of the greatest possible seriousness.
- rough and ready — Crude but good enough for the purpose.
- keep up appearances — To behave as if nothing is wrong, to protect one's reputation.
- grow like wildfire — To spread very fast.
- at the stroke of a pen — By one quick official decision.
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