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

heartbreakingly

ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ-lē 

adverb

a heartbreakingly tragic movie

Synonyms

• depressing
• dismal
• drear
• dreary
• heartrending
• melancholy
• mournful
• pathetic
• sad
• saddening
• sorry
• tearful
• teary

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

And coming out here and seeing the lack of response and the lack of help is so heartbreaking. —Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 11 Jan. 2025

Suddenly, Smith interrupted her presentation to share the heartbreaking news that Maui was on fire. —Michael Loré, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

In one particularly heartbreaking example, ABC 7 reported on a nonagenarian couple whose fire insurance was canceled before the Eaton Fire. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, Architectural Digest, 10 Jan. 2025

Live map California fire map: Track this fire live For many residents, the return to Altadena meant a heartbreaking discovery of decimated homes and neighborhoods. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a