heartbreaking

adjective

heart·​break·​ing ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ How to pronounce heartbreaking (audio)
1
: causing intense sorrow or distress
heartbreaking news
a heartbreaking defeat
2
: producing an intense emotional reaction or response
heartbreaking beauty
heartbreakingly adverb
a heartbreakingly tragic movie

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Chargers are in a tough spot coming off that heartbreaking loss in Kansas City. Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024 A couple that has been crushing on the villa for years, Leslie (Abbi Jacobson) and Sarah (Poppy Liu), has been at odds, after a heartbreaking first attempt, over whether Sarah should keep trying to get pregnant. Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024 Yet later, after Anu is asleep, Prabha steals away to the kitchen, pulls out the rice cooker and hugs it while sitting on the kitchen floor, a heartbreaking demonstration of loneliness. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Dec. 2024 The Malibu flames also bring a heartbreaking reminder to many people living in the region, as some are still rebuilding from the 2018 Woolsey Fire that erupted in November of that year. Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heartbreaking 

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of heartbreaking was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near heartbreaking

Cite this Entry

“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbreaking. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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