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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 Western Michigan has beaten Monmouth and Rice since its heartbreaking and controversial loss at Michigan. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026 Just days after the tragic death of her older brother, Kaia Gerber has suffered even more heartbreaking news. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2026 Tony’s disappearance occurred during a heartbreaking time for Gerber, 25. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 The wrenching, heartbreaking testimony echoed through the Congressional hearing room, pulling listeners back to the raw moments of January when Good and Alex Pretti were killed. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 22 Sep. 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
  • Creel’s fellow cast members have been sending a lot of love to Haskins since the sad news of his death broke.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In this Saved by the Bell superfan’s mind, that was not a sad thing.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Singer discussed their tragic loss in the wake of news that Jamie Lee Curtis will be honored by the inaugural Michele and Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Tor is a remote mountain community where tragic events took place that remain unsolved to this day.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • The Chargers' offense mustered a pathetic 14 points all game.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • It’s also brilliantly written as a futile, pathetic rebellion by men with zero agency or purpose in their own lives.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Having too many Titans on your fantasy roster is just depressing.
    — Gary Davenport, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t be put off by the alarming title; this book approaches our ominous political landscape with an eye to diagnosing, not depressing.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • These unfortunate souls were supposed to stay in their birthplace, hoping church charity would sustain them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Artistic but flighty, Deborah ends up at her parents’ alma mater when an unfortunate incident gets her NYU Tisch School of the Arts acceptance rescinded.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 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
  • Such diagnoses can carry an extraordinarily poor neonatal prognosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • The Heat finished a miserable 15-67 that season, a year in which hope was sometimes hard to find among veterans.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The Chargers have been horrendous through two games this season, and that's coming from a miserable Dolphins fan.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

heartbreak
heartbreaking
heartbroken
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Cite this Entry

“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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