heart balm

noun

Something that soothes a person's fears or emotions.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounheart balm (countable and uncountable, plural heart balms)

plural heart balms · alternative heart-balm · alternative heartbalm

  1. countableidiomaticuncountableSomething that soothes a person's fears or emotions.

    So many things, however, are a genuine heartbalm like the prickles of the Pleiades rising on the night.

    1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 211
  2. countableuncountablelawA fine for a breach of promise (to marry).

Origin

From heart + balm.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish palsamia sydämelle
  • palsamia sydämelleidiomatic: something soothing
German Balsam für die Seele
  • Balsam für die Seeleidiomatic: something soothing
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: heart balm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.