1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
couldn't bear to see the heartrending photos of victims of the famine
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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son
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3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
heartrending memories of all the terrible crimes he'd committed and was sorry for now
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4
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
the heartrending sight of a starving child holding out his hands for food
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartrending
The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly.
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Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Garfield’s aptitude for self-conscious interiority and expertly modifying the tone and intensity of his performance is perfectly suited for the earnest, chaotic and heartrending demands of this modern dramedy.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
In its most heartrending section, a physical manifestation of the broken mother-child bond, 144 teak drawers slide open to display delicate objects that had been severed in half.
—Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023
Those possibilities become still more heartrending when Allison is allowed out on parole for a day, in scenes that Breslin plays with a wrenching mix of toughness, resignation and despair.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Garfield’s aptitude for self-conscious interiority and expertly modifying the tone and intensity of his performance is perfectly suited for the earnest, chaotic and heartrending demands of this modern dramedy.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
In its most heartrending section, a physical manifestation of the broken mother-child bond, 144 teak drawers slide open to display delicate objects that had been severed in half.
—Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023
Those possibilities become still more heartrending when Allison is allowed out on parole for a day, in scenes that Breslin plays with a wrenching mix of toughness, resignation and despair.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartrending
Adjective
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But nothing in life is sadder than a reality television person who doesn't know when to retire.Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
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Air France regrets this sad event and expresses its sincere condolences.Michael D. Carroll AND Theo Burman, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The camera stays close, capturing painful moments (Jaouad in the hospital), sweetness (exchanging wedding rings made of green twist ties), and most of all, Batiste's incredible passion.Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2025
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Despite the painful setback, Strowman powered through the match and emerged victorious, solidifying his reputation for resilience.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Of these three films, The Substance most clearly establishes that tension as something more than just tragic.Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025
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In Maui, the fund supported those who lost homes in the tragic fires in Lahaina and Kula by delivering $60 million directly to residents’ bank accounts in six months.Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In the final, pathetic weeks of his failed presidency, Joe Biden has been casting about desperately for a positive legacy.Jack Butler, National Review, 12 Jan. 2025
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The 10th pick will be your usual pathetic Bear player.Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The depressing part is that the smear campaign worked.Nicole Page, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2025
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In October, Lilium was scrambling for additional investments to keep the doors open and by late December the company announced that the only people still on the payroll would be handling the depressing job of liquidation.David Szondy, New Atlas, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Advocates and relatives describe harsh conditions in immigration detention.Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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Soviet scientists at the time believed that strays, given that they were already accustomed to harsh conditions, would be better suited to the extreme environments of space.Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Far too often over the previous three seasons, unfortunate and often unlucky things happened when Jackson threw the ball in Bateman’s direction.Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
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Millions of businesses have been targeted, revealing the unfortunate truth: cybercrime has become a daily occurrence among various enterprises.William Jones, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Everybody connected to the death of this poor guy is dead now.Makena Gera, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
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With sleep disorders affecting approximately 70 million Americans and poor sleep linked to serious health risks like heart disease, stroke and cognitive decline, the Tone Buds represent a significant advancement in personal sleep technology.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near heartrending
Cite this Entry
“Heartrending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartrending. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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