warm the cockles of someone's heart
Bring inner joy
To warm the cockles of someone's heart is to give them a feeling of deep contentment or affection.
The phrase suggests something that touches the emotional core: It warmed the cockles of her heart to see the children playing together.
The cockles are the heart's ventricles, from their resemblance to cockle shells.
The expression is slightly old-fashioned and often used with gentle irony.
- heartwarmingEvoking tender positive feelings
- happinessJoyful emotional state
- generosityReadiness to give freely
- heart of goldDeeply generous nature
- contentmentPeaceful satisfaction with circumstances
warm fuzzy feeling · act of kindness · empathy · fondness · uplifting · affection · endearing · gladdening · tenderness · inner glow · familiarity · touching · delight · heartstring · comforting · good vibes · gratitude · fond memories
warm the cockles of someone's heartbreak someone's heart
Cause deep emotional pain
leave someone cold · horrify · devastate · chill to the bone · make someone's blood run cold
warm the cockles of someone's heartleave someone cold
Fail to affect emotionally
ring hollow · fall flat · go in one ear and out the other · bounce off · go through the motions