heart miss a beat
1. The heart leaves out or seems to leave out a beat; the heart beats hard or leaps from excitement or strong feeling. - Often considered trite.
When Paul saw the bear standing in front of him, his heart skipped a beat.

2. To be startled or excited from surprise, joy. or fright.
When Linda was told that she had won, her heart missed a beat.

See: HEART SKIP A BEAT.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲