heartbreaking
adjective
heart·break·ing
ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ 
1
: causing intense sorrow or distress
heartbreaking news
a heartbreaking defeat
2
: producing an intense emotional reaction or response
heartbreaking beauty
Synonyms
Examples of heartbreaking in a Sentence
She wrote a heartbreaking story about the death of her grandfather.
It was heartbreaking to know that there was nothing I could do.
The team suffered another heartbreaking defeat.
Recent Examples on the Web
With the season on the line for Missouri softball, senior Laurin Krings and the Tigers bounced back with a win on Saturday after a heartbreaking extra-innings upset to Omaha the night before.
—
Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024
Her accounts of her time with Kurt Cobain are poignant and heartbreaking.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartbreaking 
Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024
Her accounts of her time with Kurt Cobain are poignant and heartbreaking.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartbreaking
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heartbreaking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbreaking. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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