heartbroken

adjective

heart·​bro·​ken ˈhärt-ˌbrō-kən How to pronounce heartbroken (audio)
Synonyms of heartbrokennext
: overcome by sorrow

Examples of heartbroken in a Sentence

not as heartbroken over missing out on the trip to New York as I thought she would be was utterly heartbroken when his pet dog died
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Though heartbroken, Punsalan and Swallow decided to compete at Lillehammer anyway. Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 3 Feb. 2026 An internal exam performed by her doctor indicated signs of a miscarriage at just five weeks, leaving her and her husband heartbroken. Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026 Boitel had worked at the luxury condo building, greeting residents coming into the lobby, for more than three decades, his heartbroken son Marvin Boitel told The News. Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026 Neighbors said they were heartbroken to hear about the incident. Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heartbroken

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heartbroken was in 1572

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heartbroken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbroken. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on heartbroken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster