Somebody’s heart misses a beat Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Reaction Used to describe a physical response to strong emotions like fear or happiness. During the horror movie, my heart missed a beat at every jump scare. Pro Tip 2/3Not Literal It's a metaphor; the heart doesn't actually skip a beat, it expresses a strong emotion. As the roller coaster descended, her heart missed a beat. Pro Tip 3/3Suddenness Emphasizes a quick, almost instant reaction to something unexpected. His heart missed a beat when the surprise party yelled 'Surprise!'