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

An animal shelter has shown the heartbreaking scenes owners giving up their pet don't get to witness. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025

That was Jeffrey’s heartbreaking statement to a reporter who tracked him down after a police bulletin about the shooting went out that day. —Mary Jane Gibson, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2025

Shay Wright originally shared the heartbreaking news that her husband had died in an Instagram post published on Wednesday, June 25. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 27 June 2025

The siblings express adoration for their famous parents in the complicated, often heartbreaking tale. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 27 June 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