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
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
This is heartbreaking news for Sanders, who put together an impressive NFL debut during Week 1 of preseason.
—
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
The heartbreaking footage of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School was released on Tuesday, Aug. 12, as part of the final records of the incident, which were previously withheld by local authorities.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The characters, in their quirky idiosyncrasies, are deeply familiar; their stoicisms, heartbreaking.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
In a heartbreaking video circulating on social media, Clarkson appears visibly emotional on stage during her July 26 performance in Las Vegas.
—Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
The heartbreaking footage of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School was released on Tuesday, Aug. 12, as part of the final records of the incident, which were previously withheld by local authorities.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The characters, in their quirky idiosyncrasies, are deeply familiar; their stoicisms, heartbreaking.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
In a heartbreaking video circulating on social media, Clarkson appears visibly emotional on stage during her July 26 performance in Las Vegas.
—Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbreaking. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share