take to heart

To treat something as significant or important and be moved, affected, influenced, or upset by it at a personal level. Don't take his comments to heart—he's that hard on everyone in the office. If you actually take her advice to heart, I think you'll find it deeply comforting.

Fig. to consider that some comment is significant to oneself. Mary listened to Bob's advice and took it all to heart. All Sue's advice was taken to heart by the show committee.

Be deeply moved or affected or upset by, as in I know you'll take these comments about your story to heart, or She really took that college rejection to heart. [c. 1300]

To take seriously and be affected or troubled by: Don't take my criticism to heart.

To be deeply moved or affected; to grieve over; to concern oneself seriously with. This expression was already being used in the sixteenth century and is by no means dated. Anthony Trollope used it in The Belton Estate (1865): “She had no idea when she was refusing him that he would take it to heart as he had done.”