give (one) heart failure
give (one) heart failure
To shock, frighten, or upset someone suddenly and to an extreme degree. Often used with "nearly," "almost," or some similar modifier. Adrian almost gave his parents heart failure when he told them he was dropping out of college. You about gave me heart failure, sneaking up on me like that!
See also: failure, give, heart
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
give someone heart failure
Frighten or startle someone very much, as in You nearly gave me heart failure when you told me you were quitting. It is also put as have heart failure, meaning "be frightened or startled," as in I just about had heart failure when I heard about her accident. These hyperbolic terms allude to the life-threatening physical condition in which the heart fails to pump blood at an adequate rate or stops altogether. Also see heart misses a beat.
See also: failure, give, heart, someone
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- give someone heart failure
- have heart failure
- almost never
- look for all the world like
- look for all the world like (someone or something)
- split one's sides, to
- bank on someone
- life saver
- tower head and shoulders over (someone or something)
- (something) in a million