sick at heart

Idioms and Phrases

Grieving, very disappointed, dejected, as in We were sick at heart when we learned of her predicament . This idiom, which transfers heart disease to unhappiness, was first recorded in 1581.

Example Sentences

The free speech movement that originated at Berkeley in 1964 culminated in the student takeover of Sproul Hall on Dec. 2, following a speech by student leader Mario Savio in which he said, “There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part.”

From Los Angeles Times

Dear Amy: Your response to “Sick at Heart Mom” made me sick.

From Washington Post

I'm also sick at heart because five years ago, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton put the country on notice that this day could come.

From Salon

I am sick at heart when I contemplate a world in which people are not free to think what they would like, especially on a college campus, where free expression and open academic inquiry lie at the heart of the mission of the institution.

From Washington Post

I’m sick at heart every day, and blaming myself for raising an otherwise strong woman who is codependent on someone who loves her but can never give her meaningful support.

From Slate

Related Words

• affecting
• distressing
• heart-wrenching
• heartrending
• lugubrious
• melancholy
• mournful
• painful
• plaintive
• sad
• sorry