bleeding heart
• noun
A person who is considered to be overly or impractically sympathetic toward those who are underprivileged or marginalized.
"The senator dismissed his critics as a bunch of bleeding hearts who did not understand the severe economic realities of the policy."
An ornamental woodland plant (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) native to eastern Asia, widely cultivated for its arching stems and distinctive heart-shaped pink and white flowers.
"We planted a bleeding heart in the shade garden, and its delicate pink blooms appeared just in time for early spring."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used to describe a person, 'bleeding heart' is almost exclusively a pejorative political idiom implying that their sympathy for the marginalized is naive, excessive, or performative.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.