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
The trauma endured by this family is heartbreaking.
—
ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
Reeves turns in a heartbreaking performance, Tatum is at the height of his talents and Philip Ettinger is also great as the assailant who becomes a phantom-like figure in the child's mind.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
At the end of his interview, Skarsgård told Colbert a heartbreaking story about his childhood friend pranking him by leading him to believe that his crush was reciprocating his feelings.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
Her former costar Macaulay Culkin shared a heartbreaking tribute in O'Hara's honor with a then-and-now photo of the two in 1990 movie Home Alone and at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
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ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
Reeves turns in a heartbreaking performance, Tatum is at the height of his talents and Philip Ettinger is also great as the assailant who becomes a phantom-like figure in the child's mind.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
At the end of his interview, Skarsgård told Colbert a heartbreaking story about his childhood friend pranking him by leading him to believe that his crush was reciprocating his feelings.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
Her former costar Macaulay Culkin shared a heartbreaking tribute in O'Hara's honor with a then-and-now photo of the two in 1990 movie Home Alone and at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbreaking. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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