have a change of heart
/ˌhæv ə ˌtʃeɪndʒ əv ˈhɑːt/NEUTRAL · C2
Meaning
to start to think or feel differently about a decision
Examples
- 1Leo had planned to study law, but after a summer working in a kitchen he had a change of heart.
- 2If you have a change of heart about the trip, just let me know by Friday.
- 3Maria said she’d never move back home, but after the baby was born she had a change of heart.
- 4The club was going to close the café, but after hundreds of complaints it had a change of heart.
- 5What made the landlord have a change of heart about the rent increase?
Grammar
Only have changes: has, having, had. Keep a change of heart fixed; about can name the decision.
Similar in meaning
More idioms about decisions
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →err on the side of cautionto choose the safer option to avoid any riskset in stonefixed and impossible to alterhedge your betsto avoid committing to one option so that you cannot loseburn your bridgesto do something that makes it impossible to go back latera leap in the darka risky choice when you cannot know the resultthe die is casta decision has been made and now cannot be undone
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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