heart of gold
1
a generous and kind personality
Its origin can be traced back to the 14th century, when the word "gold" was used to refer to something valuable, noble, or excellent. In the 16th century, the phrase "a heart of gold" was used to describe a person who had a kind and generous nature. The phrase gained wider recognition in the 19th century with the publication of William Shakespeare's play "Henry V", in which the character of the king is described as having a "heart of gold". Since then, the phrase has become a common idiom in the English language, used to describe people who are kind, selfless, and compassionate.
- A woman with a heart of gold gives us lodging for the night.
- He plays the part of a tough cop on TV who really has a heart of gold.
- They are all good boys with hearts of gold.They would never steal.
- Everyone in the community knows her for her heart of gold.
- The nurse with a heart of gold cared for her patients as if they were family.