heartbreaking

adjective

ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ How to pronounce heartbreaking (audio)
Definition of heartbreakingnext
1
as in sad
causing unhappiness a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war

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2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster

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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 While the twins were still in intensive care, the family was hit with another heartbreaking setback. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the death was heartbreaking and that the federal government would continue supporting British Columbia. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 Throughout the third season, viewers witness Jackie and Cole navigate not only their evolving relationship and heartbreaking breakup but also their struggles with their pasts and their journey to rediscover their true selves. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026 What followed was a global outpouring of grief, conspiracy theories surrounding her death, and the heartbreaking image of her sons, William, then 15, and Harry, 12, following their mother’s casket through London. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking
  1. sad
  2. tragic
  3. pathetic
  4. depressing
  5. unfortunate
  6. pitiful
  7. poor
  8. miserable
Adjective
  • Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman quickly produced a cartoon showing Roosevelt refusing to shoot a tiny bear cub with big sad eyes and a rope around its neck.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • These sad conventions; these American ways of being, pacing to the end of a block and back like hamsters.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • The tragic accident marks the third fatal youth e-scooter injury in Chicago this year.
    — Narmeen Khan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The first came through tragic necessity after the old wooden main stand had been destroyed and 56 lives lost in the 1985 fire.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • There was no pathetic pleading with the audience to come closer.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • North Texas Howard WKU Northwestern Rutgers Nebraska That's a pathetic first six weeks.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Romano’s wry, hangdog default demeanor suits his character, Joe, a father of two who’s separated from his wife (Penelope Ann Miller) and living in a depressing motel.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The simple, rather depressing, and completely overwhelming fact of the matter is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be ignored, even as superhero fatigue has definitively set in at the global box office.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • That understanding for the narrator is one tinged with mourning for the boy who endured but also the suspect boy who was always there, even before all the unfortunate happenings.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The first addresses inflammation and irritation (an unfortunate side effect of vitamin C, for some people).
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 17 Aug. 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
  • On the other lies a park in one of the Bronx’s poorest communities, built on the site of the former Yankee Stadium after the old home of the Yankees was torn down in 2009 and 2010.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Iran’s economy was in a dire state before the war too, with poor economic conditions a key driving factor behind the anti-regime demonstrations which kicked off in the Iranian capital city Tehran in 2025.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • There were fears of a delay or, at minimum, a miserable experience.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • And, of course, cyclospora — that stomach parasite making people miserable across the country.
    — Rob Stein, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of miserable

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Cite this Entry

“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of heartbreaking for Spanish Speakers

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