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
What began as a heartbreaking act of animal abandonment is now turning into a story of compassion, rescue, and second chances.
—
Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Jessica Flores, who lives nearby and regularly brings her grandson to the park, called the discovery heartbreaking.
—Ryan Brennan
april 7, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Jessica Flores described the situation as heartbreaking.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
In a heartbreaking post shared on Instagram Saturday, the actress said her father died Friday.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
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Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Jessica Flores, who lives nearby and regularly brings her grandson to the park, called the discovery heartbreaking.
—Ryan Brennan
april 7, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Jessica Flores described the situation as heartbreaking.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
In a heartbreaking post shared on Instagram Saturday, the actress said her father died Friday.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 5 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 11 Apr. 2026.
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