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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartbreaking
An extra hour of sleep did nothing to alter the mood in Happy Valley on Sunday after another heartbreaking loss to Ohio State.
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Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
The heartbreaking clip was posted on Facebook earlier in October by Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization that rescues animals in need and provides lifelong care at their locations in New York and Los Angeles.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
First, the dude has to watch his beloved Bears lose in heartbreaking fashion because one of the players was too busy prematurely taunting fans to play defense on a Hail Mary, and now Sol just took him down from the top rope.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
For a team that lamented its exhaustion and maybe even over-exertion by the end of a heartbreaking Game 7 last season, a road back-to-back with both games requiring overtime wasn’t exactly the ideal formula to turn over a new leaf.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartbreaking 
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
The heartbreaking clip was posted on Facebook earlier in October by Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization that rescues animals in need and provides lifelong care at their locations in New York and Los Angeles.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
First, the dude has to watch his beloved Bears lose in heartbreaking fashion because one of the players was too busy prematurely taunting fans to play defense on a Hail Mary, and now Sol just took him down from the top rope.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
For a team that lamented its exhaustion and maybe even over-exertion by the end of a heartbreaking Game 7 last season, a road back-to-back with both games requiring overtime wasn’t exactly the ideal formula to turn over a new leaf.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking
Adjective
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After a few training montages and a brief interview with facility manager Didi (Stephanie Beatriz), Charles moves into Pacific View to begin the process of meeting the staff and fellow residents, who are variously enthusiastic and sad, bored and over-programmed, lonely and horny.Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024
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Last year, Ficklin was feeling a little sad and anxious about moving out of her family’s home of 23 years.Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The mother of a North Carolina woman who was fatally attacked while vacationing in Mexico is pursuing legal action two years after the tragic incident.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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Nearly $195,000 was raised through a GoFundMe campaign started for Kaur’s family following her tragic death.Abigail Adams, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Lydia Tar’s lack of self-awareness only made the character funnier and more pathetic in her downfall.Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
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The upcoming sequel to This Is Spinal Tap will be turning the pathetic knobs all the way to 11.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Thanks for following along. jen chaney Updated Nov. 5, 2024, 11:20 PM EST In all seriousness, this is depressing as hell Kornacki has been sharing a lot of percentage points and weird names of counties in the Midwest — Winnebago? — for the past five-plus hours.Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
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Loading your audio article The national election news was downright depressing for many in the Bay Area, but there was a lot of cause for celebration among local candidates Tuesday night.Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Lucky 13 has proved unfortunate for those involved in making the ABC game show.Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
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Equally unfortunate is the film’s narrative clumsiness, with a story that doesn’t earn its exhausting runtime.Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Meanwhile, nearly one-third of election offices don’t have any full-time staff, wages are pitiful, and turnover rates grew from 28 percent in 2004—already high—to nearly 39 percent in 2022.Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024
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The plight of Zimbabwe, moreover, remains pitiful, a once prosperous country not only reduced to economic ruin but also trapped in a culture of corruption and violence that Mugabe fostered since gaining power in 1980 and that is now deeply embedded among the ruling elite.Martin Meredith, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Adjective
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Exposure to high concentrations can cause people to lose consciousness and can lead to long-term effects such as headaches, poor attention span, poor memory and poor motor function, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
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More than 40% of pregnant people were exposed to extreme heat, and nearly three-quarters lived in areas with poor air quality, the report found.Erika Edwards, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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However, from the research, one vacation made all the difference between being happy and miserable.Wes Moss, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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However, their infatuation eventually blurs the lines between fantasy and their miserable realities, inviting new horrors to seep in.Keith Staskiewicz, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near heartbreaking
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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