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
Videos and photos of Kirk with his children are heartbreaking and hard to watch.
—
David Oliver, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
This feels scary and heartbreaking.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
To have all that flipped on its side, turned around 180 degrees and made to seem dark and sinister, that's very demoralizing and heartbreaking.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
The Browns lose, often in heartbreaking fashion.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
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David Oliver, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
This feels scary and heartbreaking.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
To have all that flipped on its side, turned around 180 degrees and made to seem dark and sinister, that's very demoralizing and heartbreaking.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
The Browns lose, often in heartbreaking fashion.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 8 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 2025.
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