bless someone's heart

phrase

Used to express gratitude. (Compare bless you, God bless you.)

“My dog can't fit in her puppy bed anymore, but she still tries, bless her heart.”

Similar
bless youbless someone's cotton socksblessGod love someone
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Meanings

phrase
  1. Used to express gratitude. (Compare bless you, God bless you.)
  2. Used to express affection.

    Bless his innocent heart, he looks too sweet for anything in his little short dresses, with his dear feet sticking out.

    1917, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams
  3. Southern USespeciallyUsed to soften criticism or express pity. (Compare the British usage of bless (expression of endearment or belittlement).)

    My dog can't fit in her puppy bed anymore, but she still tries, bless her heart.

    4 more examples

    They're having a hard time getting used to the food down here. They don't like grits — bless their hearts, they don't even like sweet tea.

    We just moved my dad to a senior community, and I need to make sure he changed his gas service over to his new address. Bless his heart—he doesn't remember things the way he used to!

    2002, Hack Proofing Your Identity In The Information Age, →ISBN, page 9

    “Bob had my permission to travel with Mister Jackson. Mister Jackson asked for his help, and I agreed.” “They must have tricked you, bless your heart. How could you know what they were plotting,” Mistress Dean said in her most sympathetic tone.

    2004, Larry Michael Ellis, The Life and Legend of Robert "Black Bob" Renfro, →ISBN

    "Bless her heart, she doesn't have the fashion sense God gave a billygoat."

    2008, Jerry Deriso, Save Me A Place In Heaven, →ISBN

    Synonyms: bless you, bless someone's cotton socks

  4. Southern USespeciallyUsed sarcastically to express contempt.

Synonyms & antonyms

phraseUsed to soften criticism or express pity. (Compare the British usage of bless (expression of endearment or belittlement).)

Similar
bless youbless someone's cotton socks
Similar
blessGod love someone
Also see
bless someone's cotton socks

Origin

A conventional shortening of a wish May God bless (your/her/his/etc) heart.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

bless someone's heart. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bless%20someone's%20heart

MLA

“bless someone's heart.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bless%20someone's%20heart. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bless someone's heart,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bless%20someone's%20heart.

Source: bless someone's heart on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.