heartrending

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

2 hard to accept or bear especially emotionally a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son Synonyms of heartrending afflicting, agonizing, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, bitter, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturousWords Related to heartrending 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 of heartrending bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable; livable (also liveable), sufferable, survivable; acceptable, allowable, reasonableAntonyms of heartrending 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 of heartrending deplorable, distressful, distressing, grievous, heartbreaking, regrettable, lamentable, tragic (also tragical), unfortunate, unlucky, woefulWords Related to heartrending 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 of heartrending 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 of heartrending heartbreaking, pathetic, miserable, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, rueful, sorry, wretchedWords Related to heartrending deplorable, lamentable, regrettable; emotional, impressive, inspiring; affecting, moving, poignant, stirring, touching; awful, horrible, terrible; distressing, disturbing, upsetting; grievous, mournful, sad, sorrowful, woefulNear Antonyms of heartrending unimpressive, uninspiring