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
However, their actions stem from a place of love, companionship, humor and understanding, which makes the tale especially heartbreaking.
—
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Inspired by a 2017 Los Angeles Time article about a San Gabriel Valley tragedy, director Eric Lin’s heartbreaking feature painfully reminds us of the need to get help and how mental health issues within Asian cultures need to be destigmatized.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Not being able to hold his hand was one of the most heartbreaking parts of the process, Swan said.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
As in Samuel Beckett’s tragicomic theater and novels, Tarr’s movies, by turns funny and heartbreaking, dignify human struggle with a tenacity of vision and empathy.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
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Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Inspired by a 2017 Los Angeles Time article about a San Gabriel Valley tragedy, director Eric Lin’s heartbreaking feature painfully reminds us of the need to get help and how mental health issues within Asian cultures need to be destigmatized.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Not being able to hold his hand was one of the most heartbreaking parts of the process, Swan said.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
As in Samuel Beckett’s tragicomic theater and novels, Tarr’s movies, by turns funny and heartbreaking, dignify human struggle with a tenacity of vision and empathy.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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