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
As a lot of you pointed out yesterday, there were some absolutely heartbreaking matchups.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The backgrounds of those killed in Iranian strikes over the past month reflect that reality with heartbreaking precision.
—Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
Now this kid is not alive, that's heartbreaking.
—Steve Pickett, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The show also suffered the heartbreaking losses of two of its beloved cast members, Angus Cloud and Eric Dane.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
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Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The backgrounds of those killed in Iranian strikes over the past month reflect that reality with heartbreaking precision.
—Mina Al-Oraibi, Time, 14 Apr. 2026
Now this kid is not alive, that's heartbreaking.
—Steve Pickett, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
The show also suffered the heartbreaking losses of two of its beloved cast members, Angus Cloud and Eric Dane.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2026.
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