wears one's heart on one's sleeve
Shows feelings openly
To wear one's heart on one's sleeve is to display emotions openly, making feelings obvious to others rather than concealing them.
The phrase often implies vulnerability—someone who wears their heart on their sleeve is easily read and perhaps easily hurt: She wears her heart on her sleeve, so everyone knew she was upset.
The expression can be admiring or gently critical, depending on whether emotional transparency is valued or seen as naïve.
- defenselessnessState of being unprotected
- opennessQuality of being accessible
- open bookOne easily understood
- rawnessUnrefined or exposed state
- unguardednessBeing without protection
sensitivity · true colors · sharing · honesty · heart to heart · susceptibility · candidness · expressiveness · no filter · exposure · genuineness · raw emotion · tenderness · self-awareness · nakedness · fragility · deep feelings · forthrightness
wears one's heart on one's sleevepoker-faced
Showing no emotion
keeps one's cards close to one's chest · inscrutable · stoic · unreadable · stone-faced
wears one's heart on one's sleevewalls up
Erects emotional defenses
closed off · defensive · wary · cautious · holds back
wears one's heart on one's sleeveguarded
Wary and restrained
walled off · emotionally unavailable · defensive · distant · cold
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