1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
couldn't bear to see the heartrending photos of victims of the famine
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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son
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3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
heartrending memories of all the terrible crimes he'd committed and was sorry for now
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4
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
the heartrending sight of a starving child holding out his hands for food
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartrending
Friedland has drawn upon those experiences for her tender and heartrending debut feature, Familiar Touch.
—
Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 20 June 2025
Later, her anguish over his unjust plight—and her inability to rectify it—is both a galvanizing force and a heartrending reality.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
It’s rooted in the same heartrending themes about tapping into power through passion, but sets itself apart by exploring the story through the specificity of Indian culture.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Garfield’s aptitude for self-conscious interiority and expertly modifying the tone and intensity of his performance is perfectly suited for the earnest, chaotic and heartrending demands of this modern dramedy.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
In its most heartrending section, a physical manifestation of the broken mother-child bond, 144 teak drawers slide open to display delicate objects that had been severed in half.
—Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023
Those possibilities become still more heartrending when Allison is allowed out on parole for a day, in scenes that Breslin plays with a wrenching mix of toughness, resignation and despair.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 20 June 2025
Later, her anguish over his unjust plight—and her inability to rectify it—is both a galvanizing force and a heartrending reality.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
It’s rooted in the same heartrending themes about tapping into power through passion, but sets itself apart by exploring the story through the specificity of Indian culture.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Garfield’s aptitude for self-conscious interiority and expertly modifying the tone and intensity of his performance is perfectly suited for the earnest, chaotic and heartrending demands of this modern dramedy.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
In its most heartrending section, a physical manifestation of the broken mother-child bond, 144 teak drawers slide open to display delicate objects that had been severed in half.
—Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023
Those possibilities become still more heartrending when Allison is allowed out on parole for a day, in scenes that Breslin plays with a wrenching mix of toughness, resignation and despair.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartrending
Adjective
-
The building directly across the street stands in sad disrepair, its windows smashed, swathed in graffiti, a front garage door hangs half-open.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2025
-
Two screenshots from the video showing Ollie was a sad facial expression.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Once Schaefer’s emotional moment was done, the rest of the conversations ranged from mildly awkward to borderline painful.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
Their venom, similar to a bee’s or wasp’s, results in a painful, itchy pustule or blister on the skin.—
Gareth McGrath,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
There's a tragic kind of symmetry in the way Carmen Berzatto, a guy who grew up in household devoid of nurturing, later devotes his life to caring for strangers.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
-
This tragic event raises urgent questions: What caused such extreme weather?—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Nevertheless, the squad needs to shift strategies and Sonny is here to take them from pathetic to aggressive.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
-
Jarvis’ performance is transformative, making Mark both pathetic and feverishly alive, his corrosive remorse seemingly genuine.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
And on that depressing thought, that's how Squid Game ended.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 June 2025
-
That’s a depressing setup, but the film is a lot gentler.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Come spring, the Ranger III carries everything from outhouses and diesel fuel for the generators to construction supplies to repair whatever damage Mother Nature did to facilities over the harsh winter.—
Diana Lambdin Meyer,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
-
The United States and Europe must finally sever all economic ties with Russia (e.g., nuclear partnerships) and impose harsher sanctions on Russia and secondary sanctions so that China and others face consequences for their support of the war.—
Laura Thornton,
Twin Cities,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
The unfortunate widowed Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) heads down to the Bahamas to visit her son, Michael (Lance Guest), and guess who follows?—
Chris Nashawaty,
EW.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
-
The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heartrending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartrending. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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