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
Synonyms
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
Then comes the heartbreaking news that her besties are moving away to a different school.
—
Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 12 June 2024
But not only is the family confronting the heartbreaking loss of a child, there's another wrinkle to the tragedy: Wisconsin laws cap the amount of money that can be won in civil suits against hospitals in cases like these – too low for attorneys to justify the cost of taking the case.
—Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024
Gabriella Joy gives a heartbreaking performance as Vivian, Cash’s first wife.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2024
In softball, No. 12 Assumption advanced, but No. 23 Mercy Academy saw its season end in heartbreaking fashion.
—Rich Barak, The Courier-Journal, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartbreaking 
Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 12 June 2024
But not only is the family confronting the heartbreaking loss of a child, there's another wrinkle to the tragedy: Wisconsin laws cap the amount of money that can be won in civil suits against hospitals in cases like these – too low for attorneys to justify the cost of taking the case.
—Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024
Gabriella Joy gives a heartbreaking performance as Vivian, Cash’s first wife.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2024
In softball, No. 12 Assumption advanced, but No. 23 Mercy Academy saw its season end in heartbreaking fashion.
—Rich Barak, The Courier-Journal, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartbreaking
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heartbreaking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near heartbreaking
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbreaking. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
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