Meaning
With complete sincerity and the fullest depth of feeling; used especially of thanks, apologies, and declarations of love to stress that the words come from your innermost self and are not a polite formality. Sincere, slightly elevated register; can sound formulaic in stock expressions of thanks. Regional use: General English.
Origin
The OED dates from the bottom of one's heart, with the variants in and to the bottom of one's heart, from before 1413, glossing the phrase as from the depths of the emotions; sincerely. The simpler from one's heart is documented from 1477. The image treats the heart as a container, like a well or the sea, whose bottom is its deepest part, so that what rises from the bottom comes from the deepest feeling. An origin in the 16th or 17th century, sometimes suggested, is too late; the documented record begins in the early 15th century.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- from the bottom of one's heart
- from the depths of your heart
- to the bottom of my heart
Usage Examples
- From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the months of care you gave our mother.
- She apologized from the bottom of her heart, and the rest of the team accepted it.
- If you ever meet that firefighter again, thank him from the bottom of your heart.