have one's heart in one's boots

verb

To feel very sad.

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Meanings

verbhave one's heart in one's boots (third-person singular simple present has one's heart in one's boots, present participle having one's heart in one's boots, simple past and past participle had one's heart in one's boots)

present singular third person has one's heart in one's boots · participle present having one's heart in one's boots · participle past had one's heart in one's boots · past had one's heart in one's boots

  1. UKinformalTo feel very sad.
  2. informalTo feel very afraid; to be terrified or in dread.

Translations

Finnish olla allapäin
  • olla allapäinfeel very sad
French avoir le moral dans les chaussettes
  • avoir le moral dans les chaussettesfeel very sad
Italian avere il morale a terra
  • avere il morale a terrafeel very sad
Russian душа в пятки ушла
  • душа в пятки ушла (duša v pjatki ušla)feel very sad
Cite this entry
APA

have one's heart in one's boots. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one's%20heart%20in%20one's%20boots

MLA

“have one's heart in one's boots.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one's%20heart%20in%20one's%20boots. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have one's heart in one's boots,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one's%20heart%20in%20one's%20boots.

Source: have one's heart in one's boots on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.