1
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of heartbreaking
In the age of widespread access to drugs like fentanyl, overdose deaths have become a heartbreaking reality for more families.
—
Rachel Hale, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
As Sonia, the scene-stealing Shana Wride dominates almost every scene, first with comic outbursts and later with heartbreaking vulnerability.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
San Jose played with more structure and mostly took better care of the puck that night until a pair of embarrassing gaffes by goalie Alex Nedeljkovic led to a heartbreaking loss.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025
The team opened up the season with a heartbreaking 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Rachel Hale, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
As Sonia, the scene-stealing Shana Wride dominates almost every scene, first with comic outbursts and later with heartbreaking vulnerability.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
San Jose played with more structure and mostly took better care of the puck that night until a pair of embarrassing gaffes by goalie Alex Nedeljkovic led to a heartbreaking loss.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025
The team opened up the season with a heartbreaking 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking
Adjective
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Steve's wife, Chelsey Bridges, announced the sad news on Friday in a video shared to her late husband's social pages.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
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This admission seemed sad—critics are supposed to take pride in withstanding disagreement.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some cases have had tragic consequences, such as 35-year-old Alex Taylor, who struggled with Asperger’s syndrome, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder, per Rolling Stone.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
19 Oct. 2025
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Following psychic researchers in search of spirits in a New England house with a tragic past, The Haunting trades leering ghouls and jump scares for atmosphere and suggestion, cultivating a cloud of dread that hangs like a heavy blanket over audiences.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And Craig Waterman, the marketing executive from the 2024 film Friendship, took Robinson into new territory with a darker and more pathetic take on the same neurotic type.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
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In his brightest moments, Mike is boyishly gentle, a little wacky, and modestly proud — all in ways that Dillane manages to make feel both pathetic and delightful.—
Beatrice Loayza,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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His college career has come to an end in a very depressing way.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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As a result, his work is equal parts depressing and invigorating.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This is unfortunate, because part of what makes Moose Jaw historically significant is that the opposite of what is claimed at the Tunnels is true.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
20 Oct. 2025
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This current injury sounds like something that is a result of something unfortunate away from the game, which is why everyone is being so cryptic.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Browns have scored the second-fewest points in the NFL, ahead of only the pitiful Tennessee Titans.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
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On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Porter has been a lead creator before, but that was on cellar-dwelling Houston Rockets squads that became a breeding ground for poor habits.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Young people want better governance and are fed up with suffering from poor services and economies while their leaders get rich around them and inequality grows.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Twin Cities,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That is, even the Pew study contradicted the claims people were making about wealthier moms being the most miserable and stressed.—
Stephanie H. Murray,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
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Blake Treinen got a pop-up and a strikeout to get out of that inning and now has had five effective outings in his six postseason appearances, after a miserable September.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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