didn't have the heart

idiom

: not do something that might hurt another's feelings
I just didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't like her singing.

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“Didn't have the heart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/didn%27t%20have%20the%20heart. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

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