heartbroken

adjective

heart·​bro·​ken ˈhärt-ˌbrō-kən 

: overcome by sorrow

Synonyms

• bad
• blue
• brokenhearted
• cast down
• crestfallen
• dejected
• depressed
• despondent
• disconsolate
• doleful
• down
• down in the mouth
• downcast
• downhearted
• droopy
• forlorn
• gloomy
• glum
• hangdog
• heartsick
• heartsore
• heavyhearted
• inconsolable
• joyless
• low
• low-spirited
• melancholic
• melancholy
• miserable
• mournful
• sad
• saddened
• sorrowful
• sorry
• unhappy
• woebegone
• woeful
• wretched

Examples of heartbroken in a Sentence

not as heartbroken over missing out on the trip to New York as I thought she would be

was utterly heartbroken when his pet dog died

Recent Examples on the Web

Stacy Melo, an east Arlington resident, told the City Council that she was left heartbroken and shocked the last time TotalEnergies came before council. —Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2025

After everyone left, her husband apologized for his mother’s absence and thanked her for her hard work, but the experience left her heartbroken. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 8 May 2025

Even Elsa Wentz, though heartbroken, could not deny it. —Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 3 May 2025

The recent tragic helicopter crash into the Hudson River, which claimed six lives, has left our city heartbroken and once again grappling with difficult questions about public safety and aviation policy. —Keith Powers, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heartbroken

• awoken
• betoken
• outspoken
• unbroken
• unspoken
• broken
• oaken
• spoken
• token
• woken