# What does ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ mean?

To “absence makes the heart grow fonder” means to time apart increases affection. The phrase became widely known through T. H. Bayly's 1844 poem, though similar sentiments appear earlier.

## What it means

- The phrase became widely known through T. H. Bayly's 1844 poem, though similar sentiments appear earlier.

## Action steps

1. Common in relationship talk.
2. Example: The long deployment was hard, but absence makes the heart grow fonder.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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Published: 2026-07-18T04:16:37.019944+00:00
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