# What does ‘have a heart of gold’ mean?

To “have a heart of gold” means to be very kind and generous. The phrase appears in Shakespeare's Henry V (IV.i). Brewer's includes it among Shakespearean phrases now proverbial.

## What it means

- The phrase appears in Shakespeare's Henry V (IV.i). Brewer's includes it among Shakespearean phrases now proverbial.

## Action steps

1. Warm praise, usually said sincerely.
2. Example: She has a heart of gold — she'd give you her last dollar.

## 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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