1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartbreaking
The viral video revealed the heartbreaking reality for many fire victims separated from their pets during evacuations.
—
Liz Kreutz, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2025
Justin Theroux breaks his silence on 'heartbreaking' split from Jennifer Aniston
Theroux and Bloom met through a mutual friend in 2022 and got engaged in Italy in 2024.
—Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
UConn was eliminated from the 2024 Final Four by a heartbreaking two-point loss to Iowa, so the Huskies would likely relish an opportunity to return the favor.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025
Their request highlights the heartbreaking realities of losing a child and handling the legalities of a missing person case.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Liz Kreutz, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2025
Justin Theroux breaks his silence on 'heartbreaking' split from Jennifer Aniston
Theroux and Bloom met through a mutual friend in 2022 and got engaged in Italy in 2024.
—Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
UConn was eliminated from the 2024 Final Four by a heartbreaking two-point loss to Iowa, so the Huskies would likely relish an opportunity to return the favor.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025
Their request highlights the heartbreaking realities of losing a child and handling the legalities of a missing person case.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking
Adjective
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Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2025
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Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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John Lennon’s tragic death in 1980 forever changed the trajectory of life for his widow Yoko Ono and their son Sean.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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The tragic case of Kitty Genovese in 1964 famously illustrated this concept, though the case details have been subject to later scrutiny and revision.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The image of the 77-year-old Green screaming and shaking his cane at the president was partly disturbing but mostly pathetic.—
Matthew Continetti,
National Review,
8 Mar. 2025
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Michael Gandolfini pops up as a slimy Fisk mayoral staffer who wouldn’t look out of place in this magazine’s recent cover featuring the new young right, and his playing both pathetic and vaguely sympathetic is very fun to watch.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The truth is more depressing: This show is bad in the usual manner of reality television.—
Peter Tonguette,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
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That wasn’t even the most depressing of Vlasic’s quotes.—
Scott Powers,
The Athletic,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Here at home, extreme weather exacerbated by climate change is having many unfortunate impacts on our lives, from farmers losing crops to devastating floods, brush fires, and high heat days.—
Michael Leone,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2025
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Viet and Nam try to make sense of the tragic deaths of unfortunate people like Nam’s father, while their film namesake also attempts to do similar for people like those who have perished when attempting to find a new life.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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My performance was beyond pitiful today, and has been for a while now.—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This can manifest in poor financial behaviors like excessive credit card debt, minimal savings, or impulsive investment decisions.—
Shane Enete,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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Long hours spent sitting at a desk, driving or looking at screens promote poor posture, where the upper back rounds forward, compressing the rib cage and restricting movement.—
Dana Santas,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Many parents, in fact, report that the worst-case scenario is not when your whole family is ill but when the adults are miserable and the under-six cohort feels just fine.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2025
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Scratching will just make your rash worse and your life more miserable.—
Avery Hurt,
Discover Magazine,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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