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eat one's heart out. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
eat one's heart out, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
eat one's heart out in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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eat one's heart out, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Disputed. Three schools of thought exist:
- From "This will eat your heart out.", suggesting that the recipient of the taunt will have their heart, the core of their being, eaten out with desire, bitterness, or pain.
- From the 16th century "to eat one's own heart" (to suffer in silence from anguish or grief), possibly from the Bible "to eat one's own flesh" (to be lazy). The phrase "to eat one's heart out" appears as a formulaic phrase in the Iliad, meaning to experience extreme grief. (For instance, Iliad.24.128, and many other locations.)
- When used as the taunt "Eat your heart out, !" a suggestion that the recipient of the taunt "eat up" as much as they like. Figuratively more akin to "experience me besting you."
Pronunciation
Verb
eat one's heart out (third-person singular simple present eats one's heart out, present participle eating one's heart out, simple past ate one's heart out, past participle eaten one's heart out)
- (idiomatic) To feel overwhelming sorrow, jealousy, or longing; to grieve.
- The Brazilians are eating their hearts out over their defeat by Germany in the World Cup.
- Eat your heart out, pal! We won the title!
Translations
feel overwhelming negative emotion
References