Bless your heart

American Slang

Definition

A Southern U.S. idiom that, depending on tone and context, either politely conveys condescension or mild criticism (implying someone is foolish or pitiable) or expresses genuine sympathy.

Examples

"Bless your heart, I know you’ve been through a lot this week—let me handle the rest."

"You tried to fix the leak with duct tape? Bless your heart."

"She brought store-bought cookies to the bake-off, bless her heart."