heartbreak

noun

heart·​break ˈhärt-ˌbrāk 

: crushing grief, anguish, or distress

Synonyms

• affliction
• anguish
• dolefulness
• dolor
• grief
• heartache
• sorriness
• sorrow
• woe

Examples of heartbreak in a Sentence

He recently suffered a string of romantic heartbreaks.

I understand the heartbreak you must feel over your grandmother's death.

Recent Examples on the Web

Just a girl, looking for a place in this world, finding a community of kindred spirits with heartbreak as their national anthem. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024

There'll be a lot of jokes, a lot of moments of heartbreak, moments of joy, moments of just silliness. —Toria Sheffield, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024

As if one song weren’t enough to channel heartbreak, Carín León presents Palabra de To’s, a 16-track album where heartbreak is the common thread in a wide range of emotions. —Griselda Flores, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2024

User forums from this period overflowed with accounts of heartbreak, betrayal, accusations of gaslighting, and anguish. —Krista Stevens, Longreads, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heartbreak

noun

heart·​break -ˌbrāk 

: crushing grief, anguish, or distress

heartbreaking

-ˌbrā-kiŋ

adjective

heartbreakingly adverb

heartbroken

-ˌbrō-kən

adjective