have the heart

English

Verb

have the heart (third-person singular simple present has the heart, present participle having the heart, simple past and past participle had the heart)

1. (especially negative) to have the capacity (to do something); to be able to bring oneself to do something, especially something cruel or hardhearted

   I didn't have the heart to tell him we wouldn't ever come back to see him.

   • 2006, “Crazy”, in St. Elsewhere, performed by Gnars Barkley:

     My heroes have the heart to lose their lives out on the limb
     And all I remember is thinking "I want to be like them"

Hypernyms

• have it in one

Translations

have the capacity for

• Danish: nænne
• Romanian: se îndura