Adverb · /ˌhəʊlˈhɑːtɪdli/ · with complete sincerity, total enthusiasm, and unreserved commitment
Definition
Wholeheartedly means with complete sincerity and total commitment — not tentatively, not cautiously, not with one eye on the exit, but fully, with every part of oneself engaged. To support something wholeheartedly is to hold nothing back. It is the adverb of unreserved conviction.
Etymology
Compound of whole (Old English hāl: sound, complete) and heart (Old English heorte: the symbolic centre of emotion and will), plus the adverb suffix -ly. Wholehearted means entirely committed in feeling and intention. The heart as the seat of sincerity is one of the oldest metaphors in English — halfhearted withholds something; wholehearted withholds nothing. Wholeheartedly extends that to describe the manner of action: done in a way that is completely unreserved.
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🎧 Podcast 2 — Daily Use
Wholeheartedly in Conversation
Two British speakers · register, synonyms & when the word earns its weight
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