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
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
The Huskies had been eliminated by heartbreaking last-second losses in the Final Four on buzzer-beaters.
—
CBS News, 6 Apr. 2025
The Duke Blue Devils will go yet another year without a title after their heartbreaking loss to the Houston Cougars on Saturday, 70-67.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Apr. 2025
Dave had endured the early-onset of mixed dementia for some years which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children, and close friends.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Apr. 2025
Texas alone has confirmed more than 400 measles cases and the death of the first child from measles in our country in more than a decade: the heartbreaking loss of a school-age child in Gaines County.
—Dr. Josh Green, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
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CBS News, 6 Apr. 2025
The Duke Blue Devils will go yet another year without a title after their heartbreaking loss to the Houston Cougars on Saturday, 70-67.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Apr. 2025
Dave had endured the early-onset of mixed dementia for some years which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children, and close friends.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Apr. 2025
Texas alone has confirmed more than 400 measles cases and the death of the first child from measles in our country in more than a decade: the heartbreaking loss of a school-age child in Gaines County.
—Dr. Josh Green, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbreaking. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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