HEARTBREAKING Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

heartbreaking

adjective

ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ

Definition of heartbreaking

as in sad

causing unhappiness a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tragic

of a kind to cause great distress the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pathetic

deserving of one's pity a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of heartbreaking Her best friend, Laura (Pernell Walker), is already out, and helps Alike navigate the minefield at home, as Alike explores her identity and ultimately faces a heartbreaking choice. — David Faris, TheWeek, 17 July 2026 Downsizing is exciting for some, yet heartbreaking for others. — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 16 July 2026 On Tuesday, the 29-year-old artist took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026 All this history, plus a pair of finals appearances, and heartbreaking losses, in the most recent European championships is just too painful right now. — Sean Gregory, Time, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking

Adjective

Bao and Dani also get some votes, but Yangyang and Octavius get none, which is sad.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026
But that selflessness comes to feel like the point of this lingering, resonantly sad film — above all else, an elegy for lives unseen and unknown.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 July 2026

Definition of sad

Adjective

The Gilroy Garlic festival started Friday and goes through the weekend for a second year in a row following a six-year hiatus brought on by a tragic shooting.

— Laura A. Oda, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Against this tragic backdrop, Sean’s rise to become an elite swimmer is even more remarkable.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of tragic

Adjective

Never in my lifetime has pathetic nostalgia for the white man’s republic been closer to the center of power.

— Brian DeLay, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Instagram Plus is social media’s newest low—a company preying on our most pathetic impulses, for the price of a small iced coffee.

— Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Definition of pathetic

Adjective

The song arrives alongside a cinematic, albeit somewhat depressing, video directed by Mikai Karl and starring distinctive French character actor Denis Lavant (Beau Travail, Mauvais Sang).

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 15 July 2026
In addition to which, the Moon is lined up with stern Saturn, which can be depressing.

— Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 July 2026

Definition of depressing

Adjective

No, this unfortunate moniker represents the lack of attention to and awareness of the disease.

— Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Typically, when rookies put up gaudy numbers in Las Vegas, their stats are accompanied by unfortunate shooting percentages or a bevy of turnovers, but that wasn’t the case for Burries.

— Eric Nehm, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of unfortunate

Adjective

Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.

— Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Definition of pitiful

Adjective

Madrid had a poor 2024-25, failing to win the Spanish title or the Champions League, but Mbappe still scored 42 goals in 44 appearances.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Using Neanderthal cranium shapes to estimate specific brain regions’ volume, some investigators claimed to see signs of a mind with feeble linguistic abilities, poor executive function and an unremarkable memory.

— Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 20 July 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Madrid’s World Cup players gradually began to return as their countries’ campaigns came to an end, including Federico Valverde after Uruguay’s miserable group-stage exit.

— Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 July 2026
George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb will make life miserable for opposing secondaries.

— Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of miserable

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heartbreak

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“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of heartbreaking

adjective

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