heartrending

1 causing unhappiness couldn't bear to see the heartrending photos of victims of the famine Synonyms depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartbreaking, sad, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, saddening, sorry, tearful, tearyRelated Words deplorable, distressful, grievous, lamentable, unfortunate, woeful; discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing; affecting, moving, poignant, touching; discouraging, disheartening, dispiritingNear Antonyms heartening, heartwarming, inspiring, stimulating, stirring, uplifting; agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome; exhilarating, thrillingAntonyms cheering, cheery, glad, happy

2 hard to accept or bear especially emotionally a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son Synonyms afflicting, agonizing, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, bitter, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturousRelated Words insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable; appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, miserable, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible, vile, wretched; acute, extreme, intense, piercingNear Antonyms bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable; livable (also liveable), sufferable, survivable; acceptable, allowable, reasonableAntonyms gratifying, pleasing, sweet

3 of a kind to cause great distress heartrending memories of all the terrible crimes he'd committed and was sorry for now Synonyms deplorable, distressful, distressing, grievous, heartbreaking, regrettable, lamentable, tragic (also tragical), unfortunate, unlucky, woefulRelated Words troublesome, vexatious; affecting, doleful, moving, piteous, poignant, ruthful, touching; awful, dire, dreadful, fearful, severe, terrible; alarming, disturbing, perturbing, traumatic, unsettling; crushing, excruciating, harrowing, horrible, horrifying, intolerable, overwhelming, shocking, sickening, unbearable; miserable, pitiful, sad, wretched; calamitous, disastrous; painful, raging, sharpNear Antonyms gratifying, pleasing, rewarding, satisfying; comforting, encouraging, heartening; cheering, heartwarming, inspiring; fortunate, happy, lucky

4 deserving of one's pity the heartrending sight of a starving child holding out his hands for food Synonyms heartbreaking, pathetic, miserable, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, rueful, sorry, wretchedRelated Words deplorable, lamentable, regrettable; emotional, impressive, inspiring; affecting, moving, poignant, stirring, touching; awful, horrible, terrible; distressing, disturbing, upsetting; grievous, mournful, sad, sorrowful, woefulNear Antonyms unimpressive, uninspiring