at heart
Idiomused to say what sb is really like even though they may seem to be sth different; In “have/with someone’s (best) interests at heart,” to genuinely care about what is best for that person.; In “take something at heart,” to be deeply hurt, offended, or affected by it (older form of “take to heart”).
Meaning
Oxford67% of films
used to say what sb is really like even though they may seem to be sth different
But, you know, she is a communist at heart.
Editorial20% of films
In “have/with someone’s (best) interests at heart,” to genuinely care about what is best for that person.
Editorial13% of films
In “take something at heart,” to be deeply hurt, offended, or affected by it (older form of “take to heart”).
In the movies · 13
Learn it in full scenes
From the same entry
More idioms
Definitions from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 9th edition