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

• sad
• depressing
• pathetic

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

From people discovered after swarms of flies are spotted inside a home to heartbreaking stories of pets found waiting with deceased owners, while unsettling, Snyder said that such occurrences are not as rare as many might believe. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025

Their testimonies were heartbreaking. —Nicole Russell, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025

The America's Got Talent results shows can be heartbreaking sometimes, and that was certainly true Wednesday, when results of the second round of the quarterfinals were revealed. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Serayah stars as Ruth Moably, an Atlanta hip-hop artist who turns her back on fame after a heartbreaking loss. —Okla Jones, Essence, 28 Aug. 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