heartbreaking

adjective

heart·​break·​ing ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ 

1

: causing intense sorrow or distress

heartbreaking news

a heartbreaking defeat

2

: producing an intense emotional reaction or response

heartbreaking beauty

heartbreakingly

ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ-lē 

adverb

a heartbreakingly tragic movie

Synonyms

• depressing
• dismal
• drear
• dreary
• heartrending
• melancholy
• mournful
• pathetic
• sad
• saddening
• sorry
• tearful
• teary

Examples of heartbreaking in a Sentence

She wrote a heartbreaking story about the death of her grandfather.

It was heartbreaking to know that there was nothing I could do.

The team suffered another heartbreaking defeat.

Recent Examples on the Web

Days after the third Jeffrey Epstein abuse accuser to die in recent years took her own life, her family shared an excerpt from a heartbreaking journal entry Virginia Giuffre left behind. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Lakers focus on snapping fourth-quarter skids April 28, 2025 The Lakers had the luxury of an extra day off following a heartbreaking Game 4 loss in Minnesota before returning to practice Tuesday. —Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Watching her cat's desperate attempts to engage with another feline was a heartbreaking experience for Moen. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025

Renee also shared a heartbreaking final image of her son, posing with two thumbs up next to the ocean moments before his tragic accident. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for heartbreaking

• awaking
• backbreaking
• bookmaking
• breathtaking
• brickmaking
• caretaking
• dressmaking
• filmmaking
• forsaking
• glassmaking
• groundbreaking
• haymaking