warm-hearted

warm-hearted — adjective

1. describes someone who is naturally kind and shows genuine care for other people'

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes someone who is naturally kind and shows genuine care for other people's happiness and well-being, often by helping or giving generously.

Example

Minho's warm-hearted nature made him a favorite among his coworkers.

warm-hearted nature — common collocation for character

It was warm-hearted of Nora to babysit her friend's children for the whole weekend.

it was warm-hearted of [sb] to — pattern for praising actions

Common collocations
  • warm-hearted nature
  • warm-hearted person
  • warm-hearted gesture
  • warm-hearted smile
  • warm-hearted welcome
Synonyms
  • kind

    the most general word; describes a pleasant, considerate person without emphasizing active generosity

  • caring

    focuses on actively looking after others' needs, especially in personal relationships

  • compassionate

    stronger — implies understanding and sharing others' suffering, not just being friendly

  • generous

    emphasizes willingness to give money, time, or help freely

Antonyms
  • cold-hearted

    the direct opposite — lacking sympathy or kindness toward others

  • unkind

    general opposite; not considerate or caring

Usage Note

Primarily describes a person's character or the actions that show this character. Not used for physical temperature — the simple adjective 'warm' covers that meaning.

Common Mistakes

She has a warm-hearted.
She is warm-hearted.
warm-hearted is an adjective, not a noun, so it needs a form of 'be'.
This blanket feels warm-hearted.
This blanket feels warm.
warm-hearted only describes people or their actions, never objects or temperature.

Word family

  • warm-heartedness
    nounC1
  • warm-heartedly
    adverbC1
  • warm
    adjectiveA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Kind is the broadest of these words, simply describing a person who is pleasant and considerate in everyday interactions. Caring specifically highlights active concern for others, especially in personal relationships. Compassionate goes deeper, implying that the person truly understands and shares others' pain or struggles. Warm-hearted combines the friendliness of kind with the emotional warmth of caring, suggesting natural generosity rather than polite behavior. Good-natured describes a cheerful, easygoing person who doesn't get upset easily, but this word doesn't necessarily imply active kindness. For example, a good-natured person might laugh off a rude comment, while a warm-hearted person would check that nobody's feelings were hurt.

kind ↗caring ↗compassionate ↗good-natured ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • warm-hearted of someone to
  • warm-hearted by nature

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining 'warm' (from Old English wearm, meaning having or giving off heat) with 'hearted' (from heart, Old English heorte, the organ seen as the seat of emotions). The compound 'warm-hearted' has been used since the 1400s to describe someone whose emotional 'warmth' — kindness and affection — comes from the heart.